


Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen

by Elias_Pedro



Series: Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum [2]
Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Action/Adventure, Akuma Homura, Archangels, Cold War, Espionage, F/F, Fallen Angels, Gen, Heaven, Intrigue, Madokami, Memory Loss, Post-Rebellion Story, Purgatory, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2018-09-19 23:30:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 329,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9465449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elias_Pedro/pseuds/Elias_Pedro
Summary: Homura Akemi has torn the Goddess Madoka in two and the Archangels of the Silver Garden are in disarray. Michi Hideyoshi, the Walpurgisnacht of the Second World War, and her friends find themselves in the peaceful confines of modern day Mitakihara without memories of the past. Behind their tranquil daily lives, a new war is brewing - a Cold War. [Sequel to MPBT and PMMM-Rebellion]





	1. Fragrant Blossoms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Mitakihara, Homura spends a tranquil moment with the cherry blossom tree in the graveyard and wonders when Madoka would return to her. Meanwhile, Sayaka Miki pays a visit to Michi Hideyoshi's realm in the Silver Garden to chat about the past.

_Magic was not a miracle._

_It was not the pure wellspring of goodness we had all hoped it to be._

  _Instead, magic was a path paved in tears and suffering,_

  _Suffering that went unnoticed in our cruel, uncaring world._

  _However, that cycle, perpetuated by grief has been broken._

  _The Law of Cycles answered those prayers turned to curses,_

  _Wishes that had been so cruelly betrayed were redeemed,_

  _All of that pain taken away by the tender embrace of the Goddess Madoka._

  _From Mitakihara, Homura Akemi looked up to the heavens,_

  _She can no longer see her dearest friend,_

  _A simple question haunted her heart and mind,_

  _"Is this what I want?"_

  _"Some prayers remained unanswered. Some wishes remain betrayed."_

  _"My prayers. My wishes. My love."_

  _“No… that’s not right, is it?”_

  _“Just what exactly have I been fighting for all this time?”_

  _“I’m starting to wonder.”_

  _Despair still looms in the darkness, dancing to the tune of a longing symphony._

  _Doubt flourishes, as memories come undone._

  _And a door is forever closed, sealed by a sorrowful ribbon._

  _Will this endless struggle yield fruit?_

  _Or will these hopes be dashed against the stones yet again?_

  _Only time can tell._

* * *

" _Hey, Madoka… are you still there?_ "

Homura Akemi mused quietly to no one in particular as she sat on a stone bench in the Mitakihara Graveyard. From where she sat, she faced the calm waters of the Mitakihara River that sparkled as the afternoon sun shone over the horizon. A serene, golden glow illuminated Homura and she ran a hand through her long black hair before resting her hand on her heart. Her hopeful, purple eyes were turned to the soft white clouds that sailed through the bright, orange spring sky and spoke,

 "It's been almost a year since you left, but I know you're still watching over me. I know you're out there, beyond the horizon. I can still feel your presence."

 A light breeze then blew by and rustled the leaves and branches of the tree behind Homura - the tall, ancient cherry blossom tree that stood at the heart of the graveyard. Homura rose up from her seat and turned to the tree to find its canopy brimming with brilliant, fragrant petals of pink. The sight brought a smile to Homura's face and she approached the tree with the solemn respect of a pilgrim before an altar. She placed both of her hands on the rough bark of the tree, feeling its texture and taking in the fragrance of its blossoms. Then, she rested her forehead on the trunk and spoke,

 " _Hideyoshi-san. You're still there fighting at her side, aren't you?_ "

 She pressed her forehead against the trunk a little bit harder and pleaded,

 " _Please bring her back to me soon…_ "

 Homura leaned against the trunk of the cherry blossom and pressed her body against the trunk, wrapping herself in the coolness of the shade of the tree. Then, all of the sudden, a shadow hung over Homura’s eyes and she promptly pushed herself away from the trunk of the tree.

 That wasn’t what she wanted to say, Homura realized as she turned away from the tree with a calculating expression. The time-traveler then faced the river, closed her eyes then corrected herself in a hushed, solemn voice,

 “ _Please… give me a sign._ ”

 As Homura was saying this, she felt an ethereal presence coalescing from the tree behind her. She felt the presence approach her and embrace her from behind. Homura was surprised at first, but the warmth that she felt in that shade stirred her longing heart. Before she knew it, she was in tears as she whirled around and asked,

 “Mado… ka?”

The invisible, ethereal presence soon wiped the tears that had formed in Homura’s eyes then held both of the time-traveler’s hands. A gentle breeze blew by and Homura saw clumps of cherry blossom petals appear in her hands. The breeze then came to pass, taking the ethereal presence away with it.

“I haven’t gone mad yet, have I?” Homura spoke her thoughts as she stood in the shade and watched the clumps of cherry blossoms in her hands. When the time-traveler tried to grasp  the now absent ethereal hands, the petals slipped through her fingers.

Homura then turned her eyes back to the tree and said,

“I’m still fighting to protect the world that she loves. That’s all that matters, isn’t it, Hideyoshi-san?”

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**Fragrant Blossoms**

* * *

**Act MMXCI - Retrospect**

A gentle breeze blew through the idyllic, rural hometown of Michi Hideyoshi that early summer day. Clear, blue skies greeted the Japanese girl as she climbed up onto the stone walls that ran around the perimeter of her family’s ancestral home. Though she was wrapped in her blue, morning glory-patterned kimono, as well as her wooden slippers, she skipped atop the walls with perfect balance as if it were second nature. When she had made her rounds, she found a spot underneath the cool shade of a grand cherry blossom tree and sat down there.

From that perch on the wall, Michi had an excellent view of her hometown, a mountain valley village tucked away in the forested heart of Hokkaido island. As the wind rustled the leaves of the cherry blossom tree, Michi sat still and looked upon her town, Oshimahana, with amazement. Seeing her town like this, alive and serene, brought mixed feelings to the Japanese girl’s heart. It was just like she remembered it in 1912, months before the dying Emperor Meiji would be replaced by the man who would become Emperor Taisho, and years before she became a Puella Magi.

It was a time when she, a normal girl from a small, humble town, dreamed what lay beyond the trees and the mountains and the coast of Hokkaido. What wonders awaited her in a world marching ever forward to the future? How hopeful she was back then, she thought. As she was thinking this, an excited voice then called out for her,

“Onee-chan! Onee-chan!” Michi’s little eight-year-old sister, Matsuri, was happily bouncing up and down as she joined Michi at the ledge, “We have watermelon! Watermelon!”

“Ah!” Michi turned around to sit facing her sister, “Has mother come back from the market already?”

“Mama’s back!” Matsuri grinned  merrily, “But it wasn’t mama who brought watermelon!”

Then, from the corner of their house, Sayaka Miki poked out head. She wore a powder blue summer dress over a white shirt, paired with a yellow skirt and sandals and a golden fortissimo pin in her hair. Sayaka’s clothes, while fitting the summer season in her eyes, contrasted the 1912 Hokkaido atmosphere - so much so that the little Matsuri was observing every detail of it with gusto.

“Future clothes are weird.” Matsuri then said innocently.

“Hey! This was fashionable in 2088!” Sayaka argued, “It probably still is!”

“Now, now, don’t argue with little Matsuri-chan, Sayaka-senpai. She’s just a child!” Michi intervened now with a chuckle, hopping off the ledge. She then knelt down before Matsuri and patted her head, “Matsuri-chan, go help mama with the groceries alright? We’ll break the watermelon when you’re done, and you can have some.”

Matsuri nodded obediently then dashed off into the Hideyoshi household.

“Anyways, welcome to my home Sayaka-senpai.” Michi gave the blue-haired girl a courteous bow.

"Thank you for having me, Michi... but calling me ‘senpai’ and all," Sayaka waved her free hand shyly, "I'm still not used to being called 'senpai'. You might  _look_  fourteen years old, but you're really much older than me after all!"

"You are the Goddess Madoka's Exemplar, however." Michi knelt before Sayaka now with the eloquent, dignified air of a samurai of old, "My advanced age is of no consequence. You are my superior and I am merely a humble servant, Sayaka-dono*! "

Hearing this from Michi made Sayaka absolutely flustered.

"Calling me Madoka’s Exemplar is one thing, but kneeling down and calling me ' _dono_ ' is too much, Mi-chan!" The panicked Sayaka wasn't quite sure of what to do or what else to say. Michi then started to laugh heartily as she stood up and Sayaka pouted at the prank.

"Jeez, Mi-chan, save the samurai act for battle." Sayaka lectured, setting her hands on her hips.

"I was just kidding, Sayaka-senpai," Michi returned to the lesser honorific, "but I really do respect you. You've been at the Goddess' side much longer than my friends and I - and the two of you are such close friends as well." The naginata-wielder then smiled at Sayaka, "The Goddess must be glad to have a friend such as you at her side."

"M... Mi-chan..." Sayaka's face was red with embarrassment now, "You always say such things so earnestly."

The swordswoman then gathered herself and returned Michi's smile,

"But you know what, Mi-chan, Madoka is also lucky to have you and all of your friends with her too and I feel the same way. You, Elise and the others are invaluable to the Silver Garden, and all six of you are dear friends in our hearts. Keep that in mind, Mi-chan."

"I will." Michi nodded eagerly. She then pointed to the netted watermelon in Sayaka's hands, "Well then, shall we?"

The girls then brought the watermelon into the house, cut it up, then brought it over to the ledge for them to eat. From their perch on the ledge, the two girls ate and cracked jokes with each other without a care in the world. Sayaka watched Michi with an observant eye as the naginata-wielder - the girl who once was Walpurgisnacht - was laughing so heartily that she brought herself to tears. There was no trace of the shrill and desperate laughter of the fearsome Dreadnaught Witch left in her and Sayaka heaved a sigh of relief.

The laughter died down and the sounds of summer cicadas filled the valley. The wind chimes on the windows of Michi's home rang a clear tune as well. Then, the girls heard Matsuri skillfully plucking on her Tonkori* from inside the home as their mother hummed along.

"That's an interesting tune your little sister's playing there." Sayaka said, humming a few bars herself with familiarity, "Dvorak's 9th symphony."

"Is it, now?" Michi asked with interest, "Matsuri's been playing that tune for a while now, but I never knew it was. Music isn't my forte, I guess. I just thought it sounded nice." She then closed her eyes and listened to the tonkori and all of the other sounds that seemed to join it in unison, "But this... this is nice isn't it, Sayaka-senpai?"

"It really is." Sayaka agreed, leaning back slightly, "It's sorta like a dream come true, huh?"

"A dream..." Michi repeated ponderously, taking a thoughtful breath and an unusually long pause. Sayaka noticed the silence and tilted her head with concern.

Michi shook her head reassuringly then smiled at Sayaka, "It does seem like a dream come true. The Goddess Madoka made this place in heaven just for me after all."

The naginata-wielder's smile lost some of its glow, "At the same time, we all know that it's just that - a dream." She then reached down to the ground and plucked a blade of green summer grass and felt it in her fingers, "It makes me wonder what lies beyond - when the Goddess Madoka brings about her true miracle."

"Have some more faith in Madoka, Michi." Sayaka then playfully jabbed at her junior, "She is the Goddess of Mercy, and you are one of her valiant Archangels after all! Just like me!" The blue-haired swordswoman then spoke in a mellower tone, "Of course, I would be lying if I said I never wondered what sort of miracle Madoka wants to bring about, but I believe in Madoka with all of my heart. She will lead us there, wherever it is.” The blue-haired girl then grinned again at Michi, “Madoka’s already taken away nearly every Puella Magi’s suffering and created this wonderful Silver Garden for all of us to enjoy. Imagine what more Madoka can do with those powers of hers!”

"You’re absolutely right, senpai." Michi managed to regain her smile now, "The Goddess Madoka would never betray us. We’ve already come this far, after all." She then chuckled in spite of herself, "Forgive me, senpai. Archangel or no, I'm still a human at heart after all."

“That’s not something to be ashamed of, Mi-chan!” Sayaka shook her head with a smile then placed her hand proudly on her chest, “More than anything, we have to protect our human hearts. That’s what lets us reach out to the girls on the brink of death and despair. It’s what lets us bring them all home here in the Silver Garden!” Sayaka then chuckled, “Besides, without our hearts, we’d lose ourselves – wouldn’t we?”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, senpai.” Michi said then gave an appreciative nod, laying a hand over her own heart this time, “I’ll do my best to protect it.”

“That’s the sprit, Mi-chan!” Sayaka cheered, embracing Michi over the shoulder, “Madoka and I... and the others too, we’re all here for you, you know! So if there’s anything troubling you– anything at all – we’ll listen to ya, got it?”

“Got it.” Michi smiled for a moment before it receded somewhat on her lips, “If that’s the case, I’d like to take you up on your offer – if you still have time that is.”  

Sayaka paused for a moment, quite surprised by Michi’s response.

“I’ve got as much time as you need, Mi-chan.” Sayaka then said encouragingly, “What’s on your mind?”

“There are some things I need to pick up in town for our next gathering at the garden.” Michi explained, pointing to the small outline of the distant village, “Would you care to join me? We can talk along the way.”

“Of course, of course!” Sayaka started to regain her cheer, “Lead the way!”

The girls cleaned up after themselves then were seen off by Michi’s mother and little sister, up to the wooden gate of the Hideyoshi household. Michi and Sayaka bid them farewell then carried on down the dirt road to the village proper. There were quite a few travellers on that road – mostly villagers carrying baskets on their shoulders or pulling carts to and from town. All of them, however, greeted Michi with respectful nods and kind regards to her mother.

Sayaka was quite impressed. Back when she lived in Mitakihara, she hardly knew anyone from her apartment building - even the ones who lived on the same floor.

“My town’s a very small town, senpai, so everybody practically knows everybody.” Michi explained as she graciously returned her neighbors’ gestures, “Most of us here have strong roots in the valley spanning many generations too. That common ancestry, if you will, kept us in good terms with each other.”

When the short spell of travellers came to pass, a somber pause then stole Michi’s words. As they trod on through the dirt road, Michi finally added,

“That ancient bond, however, doesn’t stop bad rumors and intrigue from spreading so quickly and turning foul.”

Sayaka fell into silence. She knew very well what happened to this idyllic mountain valley village. Every single gruelling detail that Michi recounted to her and to the others fluttered around in her mind - the village set ablaze, mangled corpses of men, women and children strewn on the road, half buried in the mud of the paddies or floating lifelessly on the valley river, and the blood drenched blue kimono and the naginata that singlehandedly unleashed that hell. Just remembering Michi’s account of things made her feel uneasy, but that surely was nowhere near what Michi must feel when her thoughts drift back to those times. Sayaka had fallen a pace or two behind Michi as they walked, so Sayaka was left to wonder what kind of face Michi was wearing right there and then.

“You know, senpai, when I was a little girl, I always dreamt of what life was like outside of this mountain valley.” Michi then said after that long pause, joining her hands together behind her back as she continued to walk, “I planned out my ‘journey’ leisurely in my dreams and I talked about it with Matsuri sometimes too. With a map of Hokkaido spread out before us, I would trace the lines of the roads with my finger and tell my sister where I would go. I told her about the long riverside road that cut through the forests and straddled the mountains. If I could get through there, then I could reach Hakodate port in three days - maybe two, if the weather was kind.”

A breeze blew by, brushing Michi’s long, straight hair to one side,

“From there, I could ride a boat to the main island, catch a train to Yokohama Port on the Tengoku Line then book my ticket to anywhere in the world! But those were simply musings of course - wishful thinking. How could I, a fourteen year old girl, hope to travel and leave my dearest family behind?”

Michi’s interlocked hands then uncoupled, “But on that fateful day, when the village burned, I was forced to bring that ‘dream’ of mine to life, whether I liked it or not.”

“Mi-chan…” Sayaka tried to interject, but she spoke too weakly to reach Michi’s ears.

“When I saw my own village razed to the ground, by my own hands no less, I had no other choice.” Michi continued, walking further on ahead, “I was an inexperienced magi who, after wasting her magic on a mindless slaughter, was on the brink of despair. I didn’t have the heart, nor the strength to claim my village as territory like most magi would. Deep inside, I had a feeling that I wouldn’t last very long.” Michi’s hands clenched into fists for a brief moment, but relaxed before long as she added, “The very least bit I could do to atone for my village was to leave, and manifest into a Witch elsewhere.”

Sayaka, again, hurried her pace to catch up to Michi and the two of them reached a small, wooden arch bridge that stood over the flowing waters of the valley river. Michi crossed halfway through and stopped at the peak for a short rest. She leaned forward on the wooden rails with eyes trained downstream and Sayaka joined her as well. Michi then pointed out to the riverside road and continued recounting her story to Sayaka - tracing her route by the river, through the forests then to the mountains.

“It was July 1916 when I set out, when the last few weeks of summer clung on before the inevitable Fall. After three days of my journey on foot under the sweltering sun, I found myself a dark, dank cave deep in the mountains where I had a sudden thought. I could disappear there and die out of sight, I thought. If I did that, I could be forgotten… erased from memory, so that my sins would disappear with me. I decided that that would be my atonement. So I scrounged up what I could and holed up in that cave to watch the last summer of my life pass by through a crack in the stone.”

The naginata-wielder’s eyes softened as she gazed out to a spot in the distant mountains that Sayaka couldn’t see, “But fate had other plans for me. Every night I fell asleep, I prayed that I would never wake up, but I always awoke at the break of dawn in tears.”

Michi closed her eyes to try and rein in her emotions, but Sayaka saw the naginata-wielder’s lips tremble. The murmur of the river flowing beneath the bridge filled the silence until Michi spoke again with a furrowed brow,

“Every so often, heavy rain fell in the evenings and the sound of the downpour echoed in the cavern incessantly - like a babbling river. Before long, those murmurs started to sound… human. I heard girls our age screaming and crying in languages that I did not understand, cursing the day they were born.”

“Puella Magi.” Sayaka sadly recognized. Michi nodded and Sayaka sighed empathetically, dumbfounded at first. Then, when she saw her own reflection in the river below them, Sayaka gasped, “July 1916… you guys told me about this! That’s the start of the Battle of the Somme!”

“Indeed it was.” Michi confirmed with a small frown growing on her lips, “The strong presence I felt was that of the Dreadnaughthexe of 1916, and the countless Puella Magi who lost their lives trying to fight it. Those echoes from half a world away must have been carried here by the rain somehow. It was mystifying… and frightening.”

“How did you know it was the Dreadnaughthexe, Michi?” Sayaka turned to her junior worriedly, “Did you know about Lorelei and Elise?”

“It would be a long while, decades, before I met either of them.” Michi shook her head, “But every night that it rained in the mountains in the coming months, my image of the Dreadnaughthexe grew clearer and clearer. I didn’t know what it was then, but I sensed great malice and sorrow from the poor, wretched creature.” Her tone then grew solemn, “There were even times when I thought that I could understand the beast’s suffering. After all, I too had been guilty of a heartless massacre. Then in November...”

The naginata-wielder’s eyes sharpened now,

“I learned that I had been caught up in the Incubators’ cruel game.”

“The Taint of the Dreadnaught.” Sayaka deduced with distaste.

“Precisely.” Michi’s grip on the wooden railings tightened, “Long before I met Audrey, Ligaya and everyone else, the Incubator paid me an unwelcome visit one cold, rainy November evening.”

* * *

**First Interlude**

_November 18, 1916_

The small, white, furry Incubator appeared at the foot of the cave that evening, drenched in the rain but still wearing it’s ever-cryptic smile. The moment Michi laid eyes on the creature, she summoned her naginata and vehemently spat out,

“Begone!”

Her wish had long since been betrayed and she didn’t want to have any more to do with the Incubators and their empty promises. The Incubator, however, didn’t leave.

“Now, now, why is the strongest Puella Magi in the world languishing here in obscurity?” the creature asked, having the gall to sit down before it’s unwelcoming host, “Should you not be out there in the world doing battle with the Witches you have sworn to fight?”

“That’s none of your business, Incubator.” Michi growled, “You’ve already taken my soul, so leave me be!”

“But you have heard their screams, haven’t you?” The creature prodded curiously, “Puella Magi from around the world are rushing to Europe to fight the _Dreadnaughthexe_ \- the Dreadnaught Witch.”

“Dreadnaught… Witch!?” Michi repeated the name with a voice shaking in terror, “You never said anything about Dreadnaught Witches!”

"Well, Hideyoshi-san…" the creature wagged its tail nonchalantly, "you never asked!"

Michi gritted her teeth, but she was at a loss for words.

“The _Dreadnaughthexe_ is the most powerful Witch - a paragon, if you will!” The Incubator seemed to grow excited as it spoke about the Dreadnaught, “She is the greatest messenger of despair and the ultimate nemesis of every Puella Magi. Only the strongest of magi can hope to defeat the Dreadnaughthexe!”

"Is this another one of your tricks!?" Michi growled.

The Incubator didn’t reply to her. Instead, it dipped a paw into a shallow puddle of water that had formed on the cave floor. The puddle shimmered for a brief moment then started to project horrifying images - images that matched the sounds she heard echoing in the cave. Then, for the first time, she saw the bitter struggle of the Puella Magi against the Dreadnaughthexe - a mass of pale, grotesque hands that twitched and spun bloody threads that emerged from the earth and descended from the sky.

One after another, the Puella Magi that Michi saw in the puddle were mercilessly defeated by the distorted myriad of hands. The clenched, giant fists hammered magi and pulverizing them midair and on the ground. Some magi were caught by the phantom-like hands, screaming and squirming until their bones broke and until their eyes finally went blank. Then, the corpses of those who died were tethered and tied up on the bloody threads, dangling down from the heavens and spinning around in a broad circle like an infant’s mobile.

The less fortunate magi, however, were those who didn’t die right away. Those poor, helpless girls had already been broken in one way or another. Many of them had lost their limbs and were slowly bleeding to death. Others were starting to take their own lives, smashing their Soul Gems just to be free of the excruciating pain that gripped them. All of them had lost the will to fight. Their hopeless eyes were welling with bitter tears. All the while, the Incubator standing in the cave with Michi wore its cursed, indifferent smile.

All of a sudden, flashes of lightning illuminated the rainy evening horizon, casting bright, pearly white light into the cave. Then, Michi felt a searing pain that overcame her and brought her to her knees. Her heart was beating unnaturally fast and her head was spinning wildly - but the pain didn’t come from her heart or from her head. Still ravaged by the pain, she reached with great effort for the kanzashi pin that tied her hair back and pulled it out. Then, her eyes grew wide with fear.

The turquoise blue gem that adorned the pin was dark, as it had always been, but the wisps of color that remained seemed to portray petals blown away by a gale and a tree with bare branches swaying violently to and fro. Tendrils of swirling darkness were taking hold of them, crushing the petals to ashes and poisoning the tree from within.

“W… what’s going… on?” Michi struggled to speak, her words barely escaping her lips.

“The Dreadnaughthexe of 1916 has fallen.” The Incubator explained with growing amusement, “A certain German magi who wields the power of thunder dealt the final blow. That means that she would be the one to inherit the Taint of the Dreadnaught. However… this new host is already on the verge of death.”

The Incubator’s eyes then fell upon Michi, “So naturally, the Taint requires a new host, Hideyoshi-san.”

“New… host!?” Michi gasped in horror.

“That’s right, Hideyoshi-san. The Taint has chosen you.” The Incubator’s smile seemed to grow just a little bit wider, “After the German, you are the most powerful magi in the world! This makes you the natural choice for the Taint… but more than that,” The creature then paced around the cave before turning again to Michi, “You’ve already talked with… or rather, listened to the Taint, haven’t you?”

“What are you…!? Gah!” Michi winced in pain, unable to form words any longer. Her naginata slipped from her hand and she fell to her side, barely able to hold onto her aching Soul Gem.

“We Incubators still do not understand human emotions…” The Incubator then said, “But the remorse festering in your heart reached out to the Taint and… resonated with it. That much is clear, even to us. All that’s left for us is to observe what horrors you, Dreadnaughthexe, will unleash upon the world!”

As the wild tirade of heavy rain  grew stronger, its sound reverberated throughout the cave and transformed the darkness around the Incubator and the fallen Michi. The deep, dark shadows in the cave danced, mimicking the tendrils of darkness brewing in Michi’s gem. The earth seemed to shake violently beneath the cave floor then cracked open into a large crevice, swallowing the defenseless Michi whole.

Michi plunged into a sea of darkness that seemed to have a life of its own. The tendrils of darkness that had been ravaging her gem emerged from that darkness and grabbed a firm hold of  the naginata-wielder and dragged her into the depths of the black sea. Michi struggled and struggled but she simply could not break free from the tendrils’ holds. Bubbles of precious air escaped Michi’s nose and mouth, each one carrying an image of her neighbors in the village who died at her merciless hand. Then, when she saw Matsuri and her mother, the dark water filled Michi’s lungs. She started to lose consciousness as a strange force was lulling her to sleep.

Then, leagues and leagues down below the dark sea, Michi caught the glimpse of an enormous, terrifying being. It’s white face was shrouded in darkness, but it had a mouth that wore a wide, malicious grin as Michi sank further and further. Michi couldn’t see the creature’s eyes behind the shroud, but she could tell that it was looking straight into her soul. Then, the sea trembled around her, and the titanic phantom stirred and started to laugh maddeningly. It rose up to meet Michi and opened its mouth, ready to consume the naginata-wielder whole.

“Go on and take it, Hideyoshi-san.” The Incubator then said as it watched from above the crevice, “This is your destiny - your rebirth! Go, and lead the world to its destruction, Walpurgisnacht!”

As Michi stared into the void of the enormous creature’s mouth, a resolute voice pierced through the tormenting laughter. It was a distinct voice from half a world away, carried by the downpour along with the cries of sorrow and grief. It was an earnest declaration of hope in Latin, spoken with refined poise and tenderness.

“ _Ducere me in bellum, o fortes anima._ ”

“ _Salva me ex desperatione uget nos._ ”

“ _Tibi commendo spiritum meum_.”

“ _Voveo defenderet simper protege…!_ ”

These words resounded in the abyss, stopping the enormous creature beneath Michi in its tracks. The tendrils of darkness that had taken hold of her loosened their grip and the sea of darkness drained away, robbing Michi of her consciousness. When she came to, she was back on the cave floor and the faceless monster was nowhere to be found. Beyond the mouth of the cave, Michi saw that the torrential rain was finally starting to subside.

“This is disappointing.” The Incubator then said, its back turned to Michi as it eyed the lightening sky, “It seems our dying magi at the Somme managed to cling onto life… a strange phenomenon indeed. No matter… everything has been set in motion already, after all. That girl’s time will come one way or another.”

The creature then turned to Michi with its indifferent smile, “Enjoy your respite while you can, Hideyoshi-san. We presume that we may likely cross paths again in the future.”

Michi’s strength slowly started to return, but she still struggled to pick herself up from the floor. During this time, the Incubator stepped back out of the cave and disappeared behind the thinning curtain of the evening downpour.

* * *

  **Second Interlude**

“When I was finally able to stand up on my own two feet again, senpai, I had a change of heart.” Michi said, facing Sayaka beside her on the bridge, “Somewhere out there, that terrible malice was taking root in someone’s heart. I had caught only a glimpse of that malice, but words couldn’t describe the horror I felt there in the dark sea. I had to do something.” She turned her eyes up to the soft, blue summer skies of Hokkaido, “It was a hopeless situation, really. No matter what I did then, I would be playing into the Incubators’ plans. But if there was even the slightest sliver of hope that I could change that grim destiny, I would stake my life on it. So I ventured out of Hokkaido, following those old plans I made long ago and ended up traveling to the Philippines.” She then turned back to Sayaka with a smile, “The rest of my story, you already know.”

“Mi-chan…” Sayaka returned the smile.

“Thank you for listening to me, Sayaka-senpai.” Michi pulled away from the wooden railings then gave Sayaka a deep, respectful bow, “I’ve already told Audrey and Ligaya about these things in bits and pieces, but now I feel that I’m ready to tell everyone else as well.”

“It’s nothing at all, Mi-chan!” Sayaka reassured, laying a hand on Michi’s shoulder, “Like I said, we’re all here for you. I’m glad you spoke up - really! I feel more like a reliable senpai already!” The swordswoman then grinned, “Though I must say, I can see why Audrey and Ligaya and everyone else were able to rely on you.”

“Until the bitter end,” Michi said with a bittersweet tone, “I hold all of them dearly in my heart - which is why I want to thank them… especially Lorelei and Elise.”

The naginata-wielder then bashfully tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear as she spoke,

“I started off on the wrong foot with them in the Second World War, and I’d like to make it up to them here in the Silver Garden. I want to be more than just allies with them - I want to be friends as well.”

“Aren’t you already friends with them, though?” Sayaka gave an encouraging smile, “Ai-chan’s pretty cute and chummy with you… though, she is like that with everyone in the Silver Garden.” A playful glint then shone in Sayaka’s eyes, “And you were able to master that special combination attack with Eri-chan too, weren’t you? That takes a lot of trust to pull off - no mere acquaintances can do combos like that!”

“Maybe so.” Michi chuckled lightheartedly, “But I still wish to repay them somehow. I thought that I should prepare a gift for them for our next luncheon at the gazebo, but I hadn’t the slightest idea!”

“Is that what you wanted to go into town for?”

Michi nodded, “So please, senpai, help me pick something for them!”

“Hmm…” Sayaka rubbed her chin, “When they first came over to your place, didn’t they bring a bottle of wine - 1916 Bordeaux, was it?”

The swordswoman then placed her hand on her hip, “Why don’t you give them something like that too… _amazake_ maybe?”

“Ah, yes!” Michi seemed delighted by that idea, “We brewed a special _Oshimahana_ _amazake_ here in town - it’s perfect for festivals! It’s a brew made for making new memories with friends and family.” A bright smile grew on Michi’s lips, “I’m sure they’ll love it!”

Sayaka then folded her arms and hummed with intrigue. Curious, Michi tilted her head slightly.

“I don’t know why, Mi-chan,” Sayaka then said with a complex smile, “but you sorta reminded me of the ‘transfer student’ just now. Just a bit.”

“‘Transfer student’?” Michi repeated the term uncertainly at first, “Oh, you mean Akemi-san?”

“Yup. She was a transfer student at our school back then, so that’s what stuck with me the most about her.” Sayaka explained, “I can’t say for sure, but I have a feeling that the two of you would get along somehow.”

“You think so?” Michi asked, recalling the face of the dark-haired girl named Homura Akemi.

“Definitely!” Sayaka grinned confidently, “You’ll have the chance to meet her too! The transfer student’s a special case, you see. When her _time_ finally comes, Madoka wants all of us to be present - we’ll pretty much be rolling out the red carpet.” She then put her hands behind the back of her head in a carefree pose and added, “I’m pretty sure that Madoka will ask the transfer student to become an Archangel too.”

“Fighting alongside Akemi-san...” Michi thought out loud with a smile on her lips, “I shall look forward to that that time.” She then placed her hands together, “Now then… shall we go into town and…”

Before Michi could finish, however, she and Sayaka saw the pink glint of a distinct, luminous cube floating up in the skies above the mountain valley.

“Madoka’s summons.” Sayaka said, putting a hand on her hip, “Looks like the mission’s starting early today.”

“I guess that is so...” Michi sounded a little bit disappointed. She stole longing glances at the village proper, especially at the sign of the town brewer.

“Mi-chan,” Sayaka then turned to Michi, “go on and get what you need in town quickly.” She then grinned at Michi, “I’ll go on ahead to the gazebo and cover for you!”

“Really?” Michi was absolutely delighted.

“Yup!” Sayaka nodded eagerly, “I’m your senpai, after all, right? So, don’t you forget it!”

“Thank you very much, Sayaka-senpai!” Michi gave the swordswoman a deep, respectful bow then hurried over into town as quickly as her feet would take her. Sayaka, on the other hand, turned around and headed for a clearing by the wooden bridge. A brief flash of magic greeted Sayaka there at the clearing and a majestic portafinestra windowed door appeared before her. She took hold of the doorknob and a serious expression grew on her face as she pondered,

“For Madoka to call this early… I wonder just how bad the situation is…”

* * *

  **Epilogue**

_Mitakihara City, Spring 2088_

Evening fell in Mitakihara City as an air of tension hung over the oddly quiet metropolis. From the concrete walls of skyscrapers and from the pavement of the sidewalks and the streets, unearthly creatures were emerging. They were large, white, robed beings with blank, distorted faces shrouded in pixelated static.

“Wraiths.” Kyouko Sakura commented as she watched the creatures movements from her vantage point atop a twelve-story building, “Foul creatures that haunt the earth and spread despair in their wake.” She then clicked her tongue as dozen after dozen emerged from the woodwork, “Can’t these bastards piss off every once in a while?”

“It would be wonderful if they simply ‘pissed off’, Sakura-san.” Mami Tomoe then joined Kyouko on her perch, “These creatures can’t be reasoned with, so we have to drive them out by force.” She then wore a sly smile and gave Kyouko a sidelong glance, “Think you’re up for it tonight?”

“D’ya even have to ask, Mami?” Kyouko grinned and summoned her red, triangular-tipped spear and whirled it eagerly, “I’m not letting these Wraiths get in the way of eating cheesecake at your place when we’re done!”

“It can’t be helped, then.” Mami said, her smile becoming much more earnest as she summoned two of her rifled muskets, and caught them in her hands “We’re going to do our best tonight.” She then turned to the third magi behind them who had been quiet thus far, “Isn’t that right, Akemi-san?”

“Of course.” Homura Akemi said with absolute certainty. She summoned a majestic, black longbow and joined the gunner and the spear-fighter and said, “We have to reap as many cubes as we can for the stockpile tonight… so we cannot fail now.”

Homura glanced up at the starry, evening sky and caught a brief meteor show that traced celestial lines in the heavens. Seven meteors flew by in quick succession, each one bearing a different, distinct color: amber, maroon, olive green, pearly white, lilac, turquoise blue and powder blue. Homura recognized every single one of them and an encouraged smile grew on her lips, “We’re not the only ones fighting tonight, after all.”

The Wraiths loomed around the building from where the three girls looked on and started lumbering on towards them, shaking the earth beneath their ethereal feet. Mami and Kyouko, with their weapons in hand, leapt together off of the building to meet their foes head on. Homura ran a hand gracefully through her hair, then leapt off the building as well, following her allies into the fray. As she fell, she pulled back the string of her bow and formed arrows of bright, purple energy that were aimed at the Wraiths beneath them. With eyes focused on her foes, Homura silently muttered,

"We can't be defeated here."

With that, she let the arrows loose.

…

On the other side of the Mitakihara River, a lone Incubator sat quietly and watched the battle between the Puella Magi and the Wraiths unfold before its eyes. The creature was sitting underneath the shade of the grand cherry blossom tree at the Mitakihara graveyard and was basking in the cool, winds of the Spring evening. Then, its eyes turned skywards and caught a glimpse of the colorful traces of the meteor shower. Its eerie smile then seemed to grow with curiosity and excitement, wagging its tail as it was lost in its own thoughts.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Extra Notes:**

Dono* - Japanese honorific for showing respect to an aristocrat or an important person.

Tonkori* - A traditional Japanese string instrument from Hokkaido.

Sake* - An alcoholic drink made from fermented rice. It is commonly known as 'rice wine'

…


	2. From The Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their evening Wraith hunt, Homura has tea with Mami and Kyouko in the gunner's maisonette. Homura talks about Madoka again and her longing continues to grow deeper. Meanwhile, Sayaka and the Goddess Madoka have a chat and summon the Archangels of the Silver Garden for an important mission.

**Prologue**

_Mitakihara City, Spring 2088_

“O...ow…”

Homura grunted and winced in pain as Mami Tomoe dabbed antiseptic on Homura’s left cheek and above her right eyebrow.

“Please hold still for a little while longer, Akemi-san.” Mami calmly advised “They’re minor wounds, but we still have to treat them properly - especially since you’re so intent on not using magic. This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

“That doesn’t stop it from being painful.” Homura argued as she reined in the stinging sensation in her wounds, “Grief cubes don’t come by easy, Mami-san. We have a modest stockpile of cubes now from surpluses here and there, but we’ll never know when we would need them in a pinch.”

“Always thinking strategically, huh, Akemi-san?” Mami smiled as she picked up some sticking plasters.

“To secure peace, prepare for war.” Homura then replied.

“Clausewitz.” Mami smiled, familiar with the quote, “It sounds like something _you_ would say, Akemi-san.”

At the corner of the spacious living room of Mami Tomoe’s apartment, Homura sat on a white, round ottoman chair as her host meticulously attended to her wounds. A few meters away from them, Kyouko Sakura was lying leisurely sideways by the low, triangular coffee table at the middle of the room, watching television on a large formless screen that floated by the wall alongside the rich furnitures of Mami’s apartment.

Without turning to her, Mami called out, “Sakura-san.”

“Sup, Mami?” Kyouko rolled around to face Mami, revealing a fresh bandage on the back of her hand and the remnants of a peach-frosted scone in her hand and around her lips.

“Could you go and check up on the cheesecake for me?” Mami then said as she placed the plasters over Homura’s wounds, “Oh, and heat up the water for some tea too. We’re almost done.”

Kyouko groaned lazily for a while, but she stuffed her mouth with the remnants of the scone she held, took another scone from the table then mumbled something inaudible as she headed off into the kitchen. Just hearing it made Mami chuckle.

Mami and Kyouko were getting along well, Homura thought as she sat there on the round ottoman. The gunner and the spear-fighter were quite close in the past, but a series of unfortunate events brought them to be at odds with each other. It was only recently, after the Law of Cycles came into existence, that they had the chance to reunite and reconcile.

Homura was the one who first brought them together to talk in January of that year, but the enmity between Mami and Kyouko melted away as quickly as the powdery snow that fell around them. The time-traveler still remembered the tearful embrace that the gunner and the spear-fighter shared at the border of Mitakihara and Kasamino, their breaths fogging up as they cried tears of joy in each other’s arms. Homura barely had to say anything to convince them to work together with her as a Wraith-hunting team, combining the territories of Mitakihara and Kasamino and sharing it.

The ‘Greater Mitakihara-Kasamino Area’ was the official name of the two territories, made up of the twelve districts of Mitakihara City to the West and the three districts of Kasamino City to the East. It was a massive territory to cover for a lone Puella Magi, but the combined arms of Mami, Kyouko and Homura had managed to defend all fifteen districts thus far. They built up a decent stockpile of Grief Cubes to their names and earned a reputation among Puella Magi throughout the Kanagawa Prefecture as the fearsome ‘Mitakihara Trio’. Kyouko naturally tried to shoe in ‘Kasamino’ into the name, but it sadly never stuck - even with her.

Lately, however, those Puella Magi from the neighboring towns who held them in high regard began disappearing one after another and the territories they left behind became strangely peaceful. Meanwhile, the Wraith attacks in the Greater Mitakihara-Kasamino Area intensified.

Even though the trio was a team of veterans, they weren’t invincible. The Wraiths were becoming more and more unpredictable with each passing day and their numbers were increasing.

Whenever that thought crossed her mind, Homura would look skywards and wonder if Madoka truly was watching her from up above. Homura wondered when she would be able to see Madoka again. After all, she was the only one who truly remembered the mousey pink-haired girl who became the Goddess of Mercy.

“It’s been a while since you last came over here to visit, Akemi-san.” Mami then said as she placed the last sticking plaster on the wound above Homura’s eyebrow, “Sakura-san too says she doesn’t see you much outside of our Wraith hunts. Is something the matter?”

Homura lowered her eyes to her hands resting on top of each other on her lap. She then felt the silver ring on the middle finger of her left hand.

“I’m just thinking of the future.” Homura spoke distantly again. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear then asked, “Surely, you’ve noticed how numerous the Wraiths have been getting lately.”

“I have noticed.” Mami said, closing her first aid kit then sitting down on the ground before Homura, revealing the bandaged wounds on her legs, “The injuries we’ve been sustaining have been rising too, after all. What do you think is going on?”

Homura shook her head with a frustrated frown on her lips, “I don’t have a clue. It’s all the more reason for us to be well-prepared.” Her eyes then grew sharp, “Who knows what kind of trickery is lurking in the shadows?”

“Akemi-san…” Mami said with sympathy. Then, after a closer look at Homura’s mug, the gunner eased into a warmer expression as she always did, “That’s not the only thing on your mind now, is it?”

Homura glanced at Mami briefly, surprised by her ally’s perception.

“You’ve always talked in great length about your friend - Madoka... Kaname...san, was it?” Mami explained herself with a mellow, reminiscent tone, “You’ve talked about how all three of us were her friends in the past, about how she became a ‘Goddess’ of some sort… and how Sakura-san and I, sadly, came to forget about her because of that.”

“Mami…” Homura started, trying to brush Mami’s deduction aside.

The gunner, however, continued gently, “At times like these, it would be nice to have another friend like Kaname-san at our side. Sakura-san and I believe so.” She then gave Homura a small smile, “You think so too, don’t you, Akemi-san?”

Homura then fell into a brief, contemplative silence before giving a small nod of agreement.

“Sakura-san and I may have forgotten about Kaname-san, and the two of us are still struggling to remember her…,” Mami then started again with a tinge of apology, “but from what you’ve told us about her, I can tell that Kaname-san is still watching over us - wherever she may be.”

The gunner then stood up from where she sat and laid a kind hand on Homura’s shoulder, “Sakura-san and I are here with you here in Mitakihara and Kaname-san is watching us from up above. We aren’t alone, Akemi-san. We can keep on going - until our time finally comes.”

It wasn’t just a matter of whether or not Madoka was watching them, Homura thought as she let Mami drone on. Listening to Mami and Kyouko speak about Madoka was comforting, but those kindly words only served to fuel the doubts brewing in her heart. The perception that Mami and Kyouko had about ‘Madoka’ was starting to stray away from what Homura remembered and it was unfair for her to tell them that they were wrong. Mami and Kyouko were doing their best to perceive something that didn’t even ‘exist’ in their world. Thinking of it that way, Homura wondered how much her own perception of Madoka had strayed from the truth.

“Yo guys!” Kyouko then poked her head out from the kitchen with a bright grin, “Tea’s ready - and the cheesecake is too! Want me to bring it in?”

“Ah, wait a moment, Sakura-san! I’ll be with you in a second!” Mami turned to the spear-fighter in a hurry, reciting a litany of instructions for Kyouko as she made her way to the kitchen threshold. Before she disappeared into the kitchen though, she turned to Homura and excused herself with a courteous nod.

Homura returned the gesture and leaned back against the wall behind her as she sat on the round, white ottoman.

“Madoka is watching us from up above.” Homura declared with a whisper to no one in particular.

Homura’s eyes were set on the starry evening sky beyond the windows of her apartment, but she could also see the sliver of her own shadow in the glass looking right back at her.

Homura’s reflection seemed to mouth out indistinct words. Those words appeared in Germanic runes that read, ‘ _Bist du dir sicher_?’

Homura furrowed her brow and brought her face close to the glass and quietly growled, “Of course she is.”

The reflection seemed amused, no longer mirroring Homura’s actions at all. The reflection snickered as it asked in a cloud of Germanic runes,

‘ _Dann, warum versuchst du dich so schwer, dich zu uberzeugen?_ ’

“SHUT UP!”

Homura then pulled her head back and saw the reflections of Mami and Kyouko watching the exchange from behind her with worried looks on their faces. She had raised her voice without realizing it.

“Akemi-san… is something wrong?” Mami asked, approaching Homura with cautious steps.

“I’m sorry about that, you two.” Homura tried to reassure, but her voice was hoarse, “I think that I’m tired from the fighting, so I’ll be calling it a night.”

“Is that so?” Mami said as her lips shriveled into a frown, “Well then, let me walk you down to the lobby and…”

“It’s fine, Mami.” Homura politely refused, “I already know my way through here.”

Homura walked over to the anteroom, slipped on her brown loafers then opened the door as she whispered to the air,

“I need some time with myself.”

* * *

 M **agia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**From The Garden**

* * *

**Act MMXCII - Gazebo on the Meadow**

“It’s another good day.”

A peaceful, verdant meadow of green summer grass that stretched out as far as the eye could see glowed with a pleasant sheen under an immaculately blue sky and a bright summer sun as Madoka Kaname, the Goddess of Mercy, looked on with a gentle gaze. The Goddess stood in the shade of a quaint, elevated wooden gazebo with a roof of light pink tiles and columns, railings and floors painted spotless white - the lone structure that stood at the heart of the eternal meadow.

From behind the railings of that gazebo, the Goddess Madoka watched as a myriad of Puella Magi from various points in human history gathered in the peaceful meadow. Every single one of them had gone through painful excruciating struggles in their time as magi and Madoka knew everyone’s tales by heart. Seeing them dance, sing and play in peace after being embroiled in heartbreaking conflicts for so long moved the Goddess to a tender smile.

“It’s nice to see everyone happy like this isn’t it, Sayaka-chan?” The Goddess turned to the blue-haired swordswoman who stood beside her. Sayaka emerged from the shade of the gazebo and into the bright summer light.

“You’ve given everyone here in the Silver Garden hope, Madoka.” Sayaka then said, joining the Goddess at the gazebo rails, “That includes me and the other Archangels too.”

The swordswoman took a deep breath as she looked out to the meadow with Madoka, "You know how it was before you made the Law of Cycles. We Puella Magi were doomed to either die or to become Witches and our souls were left to stew in our own suffering." Sayaka then grinned, "But you’ve given everyone something to hope for at the end of the line - a little piece of heaven for us to enjoy the rest of eternity."

A handful of magi passed by and waved to Sayaka and the Goddess who happily returned the gesture. In the corner of Sayaka’s eyes, she saw the warm, immaculate smile on Madoka’s lips and the tender twinkle in her eyes. The divine visage of her best friend reminded her of the many majestic stone statues she had seen in the past - from the motherly face of the blessed Virgin Mary to the peaceful countenance of the Buddha. Once the passing magi were out of earshot, however, that divine visage tarnished ever so slightly into a much more human face as she spoke,

“I’m glad that we’ve been able to answer this many prayers so far.” Madoka fumbled around, trying to explain her concern, "You and the other Archangels have already done so much… we’ve already gone so far… but something doesn’t feel right…”

“Doesn’t feel right?” Sayaka asked, her lively tone turning serious in a heartbeat, “What do you mean, Madoka?”

Madoka’s shoulders drooped a little bit and she turned her eyes from the verdant meadow to the calm afternoon sky that hung above them. Madoka then spoke with a grim voice,

“I didn’t notice it at first, I’ve started to have this feeling that we are being watched. All of us here in the Silver Garden do not exist in the mortal world so this feeling of mine is strange. I can sense a malice lurking in the shadows - a dark scheme that is brewing around us.”

“A dark scheme?” Sayaka’s brow crumpled, not happy to know her suspicions were right, “What are we talking about here, Madoka? Is the Silver Garden in danger?”

“The Silver Garden is in safe hands, Sayaka-chan.” Madoka reassured firmly, “We have the Holy Barrier protecting us and we have you and the Archangels as well.” The Goddess then placed her hand on her chest, “And as long as I’m here, I won’t let the girls here in the Garden suffer any more than they already have.”

The Goddess took a moment of thoughtful silence and her divine visage seemed to soften even more. Madoka looked up to the immaculately blue sky then said,

“What worries me is the fact that I can’t see this dark scheme completely. It’s managed to shroud itself in darkness and hide from even my own eyes. The Silver Garden can defend itself, but I fear for the girls whose souls we have yet to save - the ones who are still suffering beyond the Holy Barrier.”

Madoka turned to Sayaka with a compassionate gaze and said, “That malice can only grow stronger and it may very well prey on those poor girls whose times have yet to come. If anything happens to those girls, I can’t forgive myself!”

“Oy, Madoka.” Sayaka broke her silence determinedly and placed a reassuring hand on her dear friend’s shoulder, “You’re being too hard on yourself again. Nothing’s going to happen to those girls, I assure you.” The swordswoman then looked at Madoka in the eye and smiled, “You have seven Archangels at your side, remember? All seven of us are here to help you carry your burden and to bring everyone home - and I’m sure we can foil that dark scheme while we’re at it too!”

“Sayaka-chan…” Madoka’s emotion swelled in her tone and her expression started to brighten up once more into a thankful smile. She then took Sayaka’s hand and beamed even more brightly, “As expected of my Exemplar!”

“Aww, you’re flattering me,” Sayaka turned away, rolling her eyes and tried to wave off Madoka’s compliment, but the flush in the swordswoman’s cheeks and the twinkle in her eye betrayed her happiness.

When Sayaka gathered herself, though, she faced Madoka then said, “We have some really great people on our side, Madoka. Mi-chan, Eri-chan and everyone else… all of them are wonderful! I couldn’t ask for a better team.”

As Sayaka said this, a lively commotion started to brew in the distance. A few dozen magi who were gathered around the gazebo earlier were flocking over to the east of the vast meadow, raising an elated atmosphere that reached Sayaka’s and Madoka’s ears. The Goddess and the Chief Archangel chuckled with amusement as the fanfare grew. Neither of them had to look to the east to know what was going on.

“Speaking of the Archangels, looks like they’re already here.” Sayaka gave her educated guess with a playful shrug. Madoka agreed with a nod and exuberant cheers of ‘Lady Lorelei~!’ soon echoed from the east.

Madoka and Sayaka then finally looked out to the east of the gazebo where they saw Lorelei Sankt, the petite German magi with locks of curly, golden hair and eyes as blue and bright as the immaculate summer sky. The white, frilled blouse and the boyish cloth cap, the street clothes that Lorelei wore, were deceptively simple and contrasted the impromptu parade that her entrance had somehow turned into.

That little girl who looked barely fourteen years of age, however, once was the head of the largest and most influential organization of Puella Magi in the 20th century - Salvae, Terrae Magicae - where she was known as the _Magni Domina*_ , or the ‘Great Lady’. Lorelei’s Salvae took in tens of thousands of orphaned magi from around the world, giving them food and shelter and new families in the company of fellow magi. For that reason, Lorelei was adored by magi all around the world while the organization lasted. The cheers that greeted her there in the Silver Garden came in a myriad of languages, but the smiles the magi wore for the old _Magni Domina_ were uniformly bright and earnest - so much so that Lorelei couldn’t help but to smile back.

Walking at Lorelei Sankt’s right side was the tall and refined French girl, Elise de Lamarliere. Elise had curly red hair tied in a messy but flattering French braid, stern, ash-green eyes that carried their own subtle brand of charisma and a graceful physique that drew both envy and admiration from many in Salvae, Terrae Magicae. She looked sixteen years old, stood at least ten centimeters taller than the _Magni Domina_ and walked with the posture of a ballerina. Her nonchalant femininity had earned Elise her own small batch of dedicated admirers.

While Lorelei was adored by many from the old organization, Elise’s commanding presence demanded respect and sometimes fear from those around her. She was infamous as one of the strictest _Carissimas_ of Salvae, a reputation that Elise struggled to subdue even there in the Silver Garden. Many of the girls there in the Garden were still afraid of the old _Carissima*,_ but just as before, Lorelei stayed at Elise’s side and the two of them were inseparable.

A couple of paces behind them was Serafina Larivenko, the twenty-one year old lady from Kiev, Ukraine who towered over Lorelei and Elise at a hundred and eighty centimeters and had short, straight, raven-black hair that ran neatly down to the level of her chin. Serafina was once a _Maultier*_ of Salvae, couriers of the organization who ran goods to and from Salvae’s many outposts and strongholds throughout the world. Though she was based in the Stalingrad chapter, she often found herself deployed to Manila’s _Edificio Gumamela_ , a place she considered her home away from home.

Due to her valor and a string of ominous events, she became one of the very few girls who was appointed to _Carissimahood_ towards the end of the Second World War by Lorelei Sankt herself. What really won her a place in the hearts of the girls of Salvae, however, was the friendly smile she wore and the friendly tone of her voice that earned her the nickname of the ‘Gentle Giant of Kiev’.

Serafina snuck up on Lorelei and Elise, her former superiors, and caught them in a tight embrace from behind. Lorelei laughed heartily at the Ukranian’s antics while Elise shook her head with an amused smile. Any trace of the old enmity between the three of them had long since fizzled away in the Silver Garden.

Moments later, as the throngs of magi who had come to see Lorelei started to disperse, the fourteen year old Ligaya de la Cruz and the twenty-three year old Audrey Wilhelmina Burnham emerged from the east as well, carrying wicker baskets filled to the brim with food and talking happily with each other. The two of them were once ‘Aspirants’* of Salvae, rank and file recruits who served in the _Edificio Gumamela_ under the tutelage of former _Carissima_ Elise de Lamarliere.

Audrey, though she stood a few centimeters or so shorter than Serafina, was a tall young woman from mainland United States with straight, long, brown hair tied into a ponytail and with bangs draped comfortably over her forehead. Her deep, dark blue eyes were youthful and full of life as she chatted with Ligaya beside her and she had the easygoing and confident smile of a reliable older sister. The young, American lady easily carried a basket of food in each hand without any trouble.

Fourteen year old Ligaya, on the other hand, was just about the same height as Lorelei and had thick curly hair combed back and held in place by a white headband adorned with sampaguita flower petals. Ligaya hailed from the Philippines and spoke her English with a rough accent and admirable effort to sound natural. Her soft brown eyes sparkled with wonder and delight as she listened to Audrey’s tale and her kind smile could very well outshine the sun over that lorded over Madoka’s vast, green meadow.

Finally, one last figure appeared at the east end of the meadow, hurrying over to where the others were as fast as her feet and wooden slippers would take her. Michi Hideyoshi, the fourteen-year old native of Hokkaido island, was clothed in her comfortable blue kimono as always and carried a pouch tied around her waist that swayed from left to right mid stride like her straight, long black hair. Her determined, light brown eyes were trained forward as she caught up with Audrey and Ligaya first. Then, with a gentle smile, she brought her two close friends to join up with Serafina, Lorelei and Elise.

Together, the six of them proceeded side-by-side to the gazebo of the Goddess Madoka.

“Looks like the gang’s all here.” Sayaka noted, watching the six of them approach.

Madoka simply responded with a peaceful smile as she produced a small, pink sketchpad and a mechanical pencil. She opened the pad to a blank page then started to make a quick sketch. Curious, Sayaka glanced over the Goddess’ shoulder and saw her rough drawing of Michi Hideyoshi and company walking through the meadow together. Madoka’s drawing skills had hardly improved since their time in Mitakihara Junior High School, Sayaka thought, and it was hard at times to tell who was who, but that sketch managed to capture the lighthearted happiness of the scene.

What really caught Sayaka’s attention about Madoka’s rough, rough sketch, however was that there weren’t six magi together in the scene. There were twelve.

“Maybe one day…” Madoka then thought fondly as she made a few more finishing touches, “maybe _all_ of us can be together like this.”

“All of us?” Sayaka asked.

“Yes, all of us.” Madoka smiled warmly and nodded, reaffirming herself, “Until then, we have to keep on fighting. We have to bring everyone home.”

* * *

  **First Interlude**

_March 7, 2088 - Sunday_

“ _This is a public service announcement from the Municipality of Mitakihara. Please be advised that there is a heavy rainfall warning in effect in the Greater Mitakihara-Kasamino Area. We advise all citizens to stay indoors and to avoid areas prone to flooding. Once again, please be advised that there is a heavy rainfall warning in effect in the Greater Mitakihara-Kasamino Area. We advise all citizens to stay indoors and to avoid areas prone to flooding. Thank you for your cooperation.”_  

The announcement from the municipality blared out on the PA systems throughout Mitakihara City in that early Spring day in 2088. The 3.8 million residents of the bustling metropolis just south of the Greater Tokyo Area heeded the advisory and the sidewalks of the city were soon filled with thick throngs of people who lifted up umbrellas above their heads and walked at a brisker pace than the already quick morning rush to work. 

Up above the metropolis, the thick, dark rainclouds were gathering and the rumble of thunder echoed in anticipation. The calm Spring winds that rolled into the sea soon grew restless as breezes turned into unfriendly gusts that turned the occasional unlucky Mitakiharan’s umbrella outside in. Along with this breeze, the downpour finally began. 

It was a light and harmless drizzle at first, but the rain too was picking up in strength slowly but surely. The pitter patter of rain against puddles forming in the concrete-paved alleyways drowned out the noises of the city - the rush of traffic through Mitakihara’s many tree-lined avenues, the steady rattles of commuter trains plying the metropolis’ rails, and the tired, heavy panting of a little girl trapped in a maze of alleyways in the Mitakihara downtown. 

The little girl grabbed hold of the walls of the nearby buildings for support as she trudged on aimlessly through that downtown Mitakihara alley. She could hardly see a few feet ahead of her in the midst of the worsening rain. On top of that, the girl’s sad, orange eyes were starting to lose focus and her head felt like it was getting awfully light. Then, with one false step, she tripped and fell onto the wet concrete with a dull thud and a shallow splash. 

“No… not yet…” The girl cursed bitterly as she was thoroughly drenched in the rain, “It can’t be over yet!”

Strands of her wet, white hair were strewn out all over her pained face like ghastly tendrils as she laid motionlessly on the alley floor. In her hands, she stubbornly held onto a small, orange Soul Gem that emanated more darkness than light. That darkness roused polka dots of unnatural, sickly colors to dance around the gem and consume the remnants of orange light. Silhouettes of tall, white chairs with unbelievably long legs rose up along the walls of the gem while black spots in the form of cookies and sweets fell down like rain.

The girl’s eyelids grew unbearably heavy and the girl was slowly lulled to sleep. However, just before her vision was robbed off of her, she noticed something peculiar. The heavy rain had stopped falling on her and on the puddles of water around her. She opened her eyes one last time and caught a fleeting glimpse of a clear, transparent barrier that deflected the heavy rain. It was like a dome of crystal had formed above her.

Then, the girl’s consciousness left her.

* * *

  **Act MMXCIII - Mitakihara Downpour**

Thunder continued to rumble from the grey heavens above Mitakihara City as the light drizzle was just starting to pick up. In the midst of the somber skies, a bright ray of olive green and another ray of amber permeated through the clouds like arrows of light descending down to the earth. Just before these rays struck the ground, they burst into flashes of radiant light then coalesced into the forms of Audrey Burnham and Ligaya de la Cruz. The young American lady and the little Filipina girl both wore their Puella Magi attires and glided gently down to the wide sidewalks of the main avenue of downtown Mitakihara. 

A handful of people were still hurrying through the sidewalks to seek shelter by then and, in their haste, none of them noticed the American lady clothed in amber who wouldn’t be out of place in the Wild West or the Filipina girl whose green-themed attire resembled that of a mechanic had it not been for the puffed sleeves and the flowing skirt. From that sidewalk, Audrey and Ligaya were astonished as they looked up to the city skyline that reached up to the clouds and, at times, pierced them. 

“This place really is something, huh?” Audrey mused as she looked up and whistled with awe, “And I thought the Empire State Building was tall.” 

“Forget the Empire State Building, Audrey.” Ligaya scratched her head bashfully, “Looking up at anything taller than the Manila Hotel makes my head hurt.” The Filipina then whipped out a small black umbrella, popped it open above herself and grinned at the American, “In any case, let’s get started. We don’t want our girl today to catch a cold now, do we?” 

“Of course not.” Audrey summoned her felt ranger’s hat with a rounded crown, twirled it around in her fingers then placed it confidently atop her head of brown hair, “Let’s get going, Ligaya.”

The two of them then produced their gems, casting olive green and amber light against the otherwise drab environment. Despite this, none of the stragglers in the sidewalks noticed the pair walking through the avenue. A young middle school girl even ran straight through Ligaya as if the Filipina were merely made of the mist from the rain. A salarywoman promptly chased after the middle-schooler and then ran straight through Audrey with similar ease. 

The Filipina and the American were once taken aback by their ghost-like presence in Mitakihara, but that soon became the least of their concerns. Their soul gems started to shine in odd patterns, reacting to strange forces that were looming around them and gathering somewhere nearby. Also, the already subdued colors of Mitakihara City were further washed away into a stale greyness.

Audrey Burnham’s brows crumbled and she took her Soul Gem’s glow as a cue to reach over to her hip and to draw out her time-tested M1911 handgun with her free hand. Ligaya then dissolved her gem into its ring form and also drew out her own pistol - her Peacemaker revolver - held it firmly in her hand and followed a pace or two behind Audrey. With their sidearms at the ready, they cautiously followed the shifting light of Audrey’s gem that led them into the grey maze of the downtown Mitakihara alleyways. 

Wraiths weren't unfamiliar foes to Audrey and Ligaya. Every so often, during their missions to come down to earth and answer the prayers of a despairing Puella Magi, the tall, ghastly creatures would sometimes appear. 

Two or three Wraiths often appeared in those encounters, mindlessly drawn to the Puella Magi's rueful cries at the brink of despair. Four or five appearing at once was a rare misfortune, and any more of that was unheard of in the circle of the Archangels of the Silver Garden. 

That rainy morning of the Spring of 2088 in Mitakihara City, in the confines of the snaking maze of concrete in the city's downtown alleyways, Wraiths were appearing en masse. 

"This isn’t good… the alley’s crawling with Wraiths!" Ligaya gasped and held onto her umbrella and her revolver more tightly, “There shouldn’t be this many…” 

Despite the mist forming from the rain, the sea of white giants with shifting masks of distorted pixels turned one after another towards the threshold where Audrey and Ligaya stood. Wraiths weren’t supposed to be able to sense them that easily, Audrey thought as her brow crumpled even more, especially at such a long distance. What’s more, Audrey’s gem was starting to flicker about. 

“I’m losing track of our girl…” Audrey clicked her tongue, “Hell, my gem can’t even sense the Wraiths right in front of us! There’s some sort of interference going on here…” 

As she said this, the mist that came with the rain grew smokey and started to resemble a grey fog. That smokey fog spewed out unnaturally from the drain pipes, the exhaust fans jutting out from the rears of the buildings and the manholes scattered around and coalesced around the darkening heart of the alley. 

“Miasma…” Audrey said with caution, watching as the Wraiths were shrouded in the mysterious smokey fog, “If there’s miasma this thick, then there’s gotta be at least a hundred Wraiths in here!” 

As she said this, the miasma cloud shifted before them and the inhumanly low and melancholy moans echoed from within the smokey fog. They resonated with each other like an eerie chant that echoed in a hollow cathedral. Then, the veil of miasma broke open. Two Wraiths came bursting out with their long, clawed arms cocked back and ready to strike. 

Unfazed by the assault, Audrey and Ligaya aimed their guns in split seconds and pulled their triggers without a hint of hesitation. Bursts of gunfire rang through the alley and a volley of .45 ACP rounds struck the two Wraiths straight in their distorted heads in quick succession. The two creatures stopped in their tracks and fell forward towards the floor, fizzling away like burning paper. From their remains, small, dark cubes appeared and struck the ground with glassy dings. 

Audrey promptly ejected the seven-round magazine of her pistol and Ligaya loosed the six spent rounds from her Peacemaker’s chamber with practiced ease. Just before the duo could reload their guns, the miasma cloud shifted again - more violently than the last time. Then, ten Wraiths tore through the veil at the same time. Six of them were lunging forward straight towards the pair while four had leapt up higher than the four story buildings that flanked the alley. A wave of dust mixed with the smokey fog burst forward along with the Wraiths and blew through Audrey’s and Ligaya’s position. 

When the dust finally cleared though, most of the ten Wraiths that attacked them were blown to bits and their remains were scattered about the alleyway before dissolving into the glassy dark cubes. The three that remained had been pushed back a few meters by a mysterious, blistering barrage. 

A battery of six 105mm M119 light howitzer cannons with smoking barrels stood behind Audrey and Ligaya and were aimed at the exact spots where the attacking Wraiths once were. Then, sitting in front of the pair was the sturdy frame of an M1A3 Abrams main battle tank whose smoking main 120mm Rheinmetall cannon was trained forwards. 

There were dozens of shallow claw marks on the tank’s upper glacis, on the tank gun and on the face of the turret itself, but all of these slowly disappeared as the tank was wrapped in the glow of olive green magic. A thankful Ligaya had laid a hand on the tank and was patting it like a loyal dog that had done its master proud. 

Audrey, meanwhile, was holding onto her golden neckerchief with a calm, confident smile on her face. With one swift swish of her neckerchief, the battery of six M119 reloaded themselves. Then, with a skillful flick of the cloth, the six guns dissolved. 

“We don’t have time to play around with you.” Audrey said, placing her hand on her hip, “A girl needs our help right now, and we sure ain’t gonna let wretches like you stop us!” 

At this signal, the husky, twin-turbo diesel engine of the large Abrams tank roared to life and a brief jet of smoke burst from the exhausts like a snarling beast. Ligaya, still holding the black umbrella above her head, skillfully hopped onto the tank then climbed halfway into the commander’s cupola. 

“ _Handa ka na_ , _Diwata_?” Ligaya whispered tenderly, calling the tank by the name painted on its turret. The forty-five ton tank revved its engine eagerly in reply and brought a smile to Ligaya’s face. Both the machine and its master faced forward towards the thick miasma and the three Wraiths that were still wearily picking themselves up from the floor. 

“Alright then, Ligaya, let’s move!” Audrey then said, hopping onto the rear of the tank and holding onto one of the handles of the turret with her left hand. She then pulled off her amber amulet and transformed it into its Soul Gem form, “I’ll be looking for her, so I’ll leave the fighting to you for now.” 

“You got it!” Ligaya said confidently, knocking on the turret of the tank, “You heard her, _Diwata_! We’re breaking through!” 

The tank called _Diwata_ revved its engines once more and the war machine charged forward, picking up speed with ease. Ligaya and Audrey held on tightly to their armored mount as the tank rammed the three downed Wraiths in their way, crushing them beneath its treads. They then carried on and pierced the veil of miasma.

“Come on now... “ Audrey mused to herself as she watched the subdued patterns in her gem for any sign of their target, “Where are you in this fog, missy?” 

Ligaya, on the other hand, tried to make sense of what limited vision they had in that miasma. Squinting helped very little as the thick fog practically painted their surroundings in drab, smokey grey. Then, she noticed a wave of movement dead ahead. 

“Contact!” Ligaya barked, finding the outline of a cluster of Wraiths in a line, “High explosive, on the way!” 

At that command, the tank mindfully reduced its speed then fired it’s 120mm main gun at the cluster. Wraiths were blown away left and right and the powerful blast cleared a whole stretch of the alley from the miasma. Ligaya’s tank fired its main gun again then peppered the stragglers with its three heavy machine guns. Eight Wraiths were dispatched, but the Filipina would soon see that that was just a drop in the bucket. With the meager vision they regained, Ligaya saw dozens more Wraiths gathered further down the maze-like alley where the path split into three. 

“Audrey!” Ligaya turned back to her ally, “ _Diwata’s_ not gonna stand up to that many - and I’m sure there’s plenty more of them hidden in that fog!” 

“This is getting out of hand…” Audrey clicked her tongue, then reached into the brown, leather satchel beside her pistol holster then drew out a colorless cube, “I don’t want to take any chances here, Ligaya.” 

The American kissed the cube like a lucky charm then threw it skywards into the dark, persistent rainclouds that hung over Mitakihara City. The cube then took on a radiant, amber color and illuminated the heavens like a flare. 

“We’re not giving up on our girl today, though.” Audrey then said, returning her focus to her amber Soul Gem, “I’m starting to pick up traces of her again - we’re getting close.” She then glared at the ranks of Wraiths gathering at the fork in the path with suspicion, “It must be why those Wraiths are gathering over there.” 

“It’ll be a while before I can call out _Batangueña_ or _Nene_ or the others to help out _Diwata_.” A worried Ligaya said, looking at the metal bracelet she wore on her wrist and the complex mechanism of cogs, gears and sprockets within it. She seemed to be able to read whatever cryptic message the bracelet conveyed and she didn’t like what she saw, “I’ll need more time to get them ready.” 

“I still need to focus on Momoe’s signal.” Audrey groaned, frustrated by the fluttering lights in her gem. Then, a crafty grin formed on her face, “But that doesn’t mean I can’t help _Diwata_ out.” 

The American waved her golden neckerchief over the tank’s turret then wrapped it in amber light. When the light dissipated, the whole turret had grown in size and transformed into one that more closely resembled the M109A6 Paladin self-propelled gun than the Abrams. The M2HB Browning heavy machine gun near Ligaya’s cupola was replaced by a larger M242 25mm chain gun. Then, the 120mm Rheinmetall gun gave way to a heavier and longer 155mm howitzer gun. A fascinated glow in Ligaya’s eyes as she glanced at _Diwata’s_ new weapon systems, then she turned to Audrey. The American simply winked at her confidently and said, 

“Let’s show these Wraiths a thing or two, okay? Just like old times.” 

The multitude of towering Wraiths at the fork in the path started lumbering forward towards Audrey, Ligaya and their tank, brandishing their eerie, twisted claws and moaning in their dishearteningly low and melancholy tones. They were moving into some sort of formation to greet the lone, albeit up-armed, tank headed their way. When Ligaya turned back to their foes, though, she had no trace of hesitation or worry on her face and there was a smile on her lips as she fondly repeated Audrey’s words, 

“Just like old times!” 

Ligaya spiritedly knocked on her tank’s turret, spurring her war machine forward once more. The tank then trained its new 155mm howitzer at the formation of Wraiths. Ligaya barked her commands then held on tightly to the handles by the cupola to brace herself as the heavier gun fired. The shot sailed over the Wraiths and exploded midair, breaking up the formation and incinerating at least six of them. Then, the 25mm chain guns and the two heavy machine guns mounted on the tank unleashed another hail of lead. All the while, Audrey held on to the handles of the turret and watched her Soul Gem closely. 

“Ligaya, turn left at the fork then go right!” Audrey then said, “She’s at the very end of that passage!” 

“Roger that!” Ligaya said, grabbing onto the handles again as her tank squeezed out a second heavy shell, then a third. With each shot from the howitzer, batches of Wraiths were torn to pieces and more and more of the miasma was pushed aside by the sheer force. 

Just like that, Audrey and Ligaya rode closer and closer to the fork at the alley as the Wraiths struggled to reinforce their position. However, the two magi noticed how easily they cut through their ranks. When they reached the fork and made the left turn they were supposed to make, they finally understood why. There were six Wraiths waiting for them there, materializing on the rooftops of the buildings that flanked the path. All six of them leapt off of the rooftops and descended onto the rear of the tank, away from the barrels of _Diwata’s_ many guns. 

“Audrey!” Ligaya screamed. There was no way for her to turn the turret around that quickly and the Filipina knew. 

The American looked up to the Wraiths descending upon them as the monsters’ ominous shadows loomed over them. Her heart was racing, thumping wildly against her chest, but and took a deep breath to gather herself. She then let go of the turret’s handles then waved her golden neckerchief in a furious flurry of strokes, casting six wisps of amber light that floated above the American. The lights then coalesced into six M119 howitzers she dissolved earlier appeared floating midair, loaded with armor-piercing shots. 

Audrey gave one final wave of her neckerchief and the six 105mm cannons fired at the Wraiths, cutting all the way through their targets and tearing them in half. One of the shattered Wraiths however, though it was torn from the lower half of its body, still managed to position itself for one last attack. It’s blank face masked by distorted pixels eyed the Filipina whose head stuck out of the cupola of the tank. 

Unfazed, Ligaya lifted up her black umbrella and channeled her magic into it. The umbrella glowed olive green then deflected the dying Wraith’s desperate attack without even the slightest hint of a scratch. Ligaya then pulled the umbrella away and drew her Peacemaker revolver and shot at the creature’s head until it fizzled away with the rest of its comrades. 

“Too close…” Ligaya exhaled as she began reloading her revolver once more. 

Despite the fiery blasts going off in the alley, the doors and windows of the buildings flanking them merely shook and rattled as if a gust of wind had blown at them. Neither the walls nor the pavement of the floors were blackened either as the marks disappeared along with the fizzling Wraiths. Still, Wraiths continued to crawl out from the grey abyss and the miasma grew thicker by the minute. 

From behind the speeding tank, Audrey watched dozens more Wraiths lumbering towards them. The pair turned then turned to each other and had a silent, telepathic conversation between them. Audrey and Ligaya then nodded and the tank called _Diwata_ slowed itself down just short of a halt and started turning itself around to face their pursuers. 

“ _Alagaan mo kami ah, Diwata_ .” Ligaya gently whispered to her tank, giving it her final instructions. Audrey then went over to the turret and helped the Filipina off of the commander’s cupola. Hand in hand, the two of them hopped off the rear of the tank and landed on the wet concrete of the alley with small splashes. As _Diwata_ drove forward to wrestle with the Wraiths once more, Audrey and Ligaya carried on together towards the far end of the alleyway. 

There was nothing at the end of the alleyway, as far as Audrey and Ligaya could see. To the naked eye, it was merely a dead end in the dizzying spiral of the grey backalleys of downtown Mitakihara. However, the two magi felt an intensely oppressive air emanating from that dead end. 

Strange, unusual things were going on within that dead end as well. A curiously dry page of a week-old _Mitakihara Times_ newspaper was drifting down from the second floor fire escape of a nearby building, but stopped abruptly just before it reached the ground. The sheet of paper disappeared unceremoniously and then reappeared, drifting down from the second floor fire escape once again. 

There was no miasma forming in that area and that small section of the alleyway wasn’t robbed of its vivid colors like the rest of the nearby city blocks. Then, when a flash of lightning illuminated the grey skies up above, its light was reflected off of a strange, glass-like hemisphere that encompassed the dead end. The silvery sheen dissipated as quickly as it came and the glass walls disappeared from sight. 

“Is this… some sort of barrier?” Audrey said, watching as the lights in her Soul Gem reacted to the ominous presence in the dead end, “What in the world is going on?” 

“Momoe is behind that barrier, Audrey.” Ligaya then said with urgency, “First thing’s first - we need to save her.” 

“You’re right.” Audrey took a deep breath and gathered her composure. She then held up her golden neckerchief and briskly waved it sideways. A flash of amber light appeared before the American then coalesced into an M777 155mm howitzer, the newest, heaviest gun in her arsenal. Guided by Audrey’s thoughts, the howitzer aimed at where she last saw the outline of the glass-like sphere. 

Then, with a decisive whirl of Audrey’s neckerchief, the howitzer fired an armor-piercing round and struck the walls of the sphere and pierced it. Long, jagged cracks formed on the sphere and snaked all over the invisible dome. Behind the largest crevice, the young girl they had come to save finally appeared. However, the glass sphere was threatening to collapse on the defenseless girl. 

Ligaya instinctively ran forward into the crevice, holding the black umbrella up above her head. The Filipina channeled her magic through the umbrella once more and shielded herself from the glass shards that were starting to fall. Ligaya the dashed forward, knelt at the little girl’s side. Then, all at once, the cracked glass dome shattered. 

The Filipina held the girl in a tight embrace while holding her reinforced umbrella up above them. The sudden downpour of glass shards rang in their ears and struck the umbrella with relentless force, but all of that came to pass. The little girl in Ligaya’s arms then dazedly opened her orange eyes and croaked, 

“...what’s going on?” 

“It’s alright now. You’re safe.” Ligaya said, speaking in a gentle voice as streams of glass trickled off of the umbrella she held above them, “We’re here to save you, Nagisa Momoe.” 

“You know my name…?” The girl weakly asked. 

“We do.” Ligaya wore a tender smile and nodded, “The Goddess of Mercy has heard your cries, and we’re here on her behalf. You don’t have to worry about anything anymore.” 

“R-really?” A worried wrinkle grew on the child’s brow, unable to believe what was going on, “But my Soul Gem is...” 

“Here, give it to me.” Ligaya held out her hand to the girl in her arms, “Don’t be afraid.” 

Nagisa was hesitant at first, but then she soon entrusted her corrupted gem to Ligaya and placed it in her hand. Cracks were already forming on the shell of the orange gem, but Ligaya stayed calm as she focused her energy. She knew what she had to do.

The Filipina closed her eyes and quietly whispered a phrase to herself like a solemn prayer. Bright wings of white then sprouted out from behind her back, spreading out magnificently as it emanated a warm, luminous light. Ligaya then gently raised up Nagisa’s gem in her hand as if she was offering it up to the heavens above. The luminous light of Ligaya’s wing’s then wrapped around the orange gem and the tendrils of darkness melted away until there was none left. Then, the orange gem itself faded in the bright light and disappeared. 

“There we go.” Ligaya said with hints of relief in her tone, “You don’t have to suffer anymore, Nagisa.” She then laid a gentle hand on the little girl’s unkempt white hair, “Everything’s going to be alright.” 

Tears started to form on the sides of Nagisa’s eyes as a wave of disbelief swept through her. Nagisa looked at her hands and the absence of her orange gem and her silver ring left her wondering, 

“Just… who are you guys?” 

The Filipina wore a composed smile, almost as if she was completely used to hearing that question. She held Nagisa’s hand in hers and introduced herself in a friendly tone,

“My name’s Ligaya de la Cruz, and that lady over there with me is Audrey Burnham.”

“Hello!” Audrey greeted cheerfully with a friendly wave. The American too seemed unfazed in the midst of the miasma and the oppressive greyness around them. 

“Li… gaya-neesan, and Au...drey-neesan?” Nagisa said as she tried to pronounce their names, but her voice was cracking, “The two of you… came for me? It’s just like the legends said - when Puella Magi disappear from this world, a magical goddess and her angels will guide them to a wonderful land.”

“That’s right.” Ligaya affirmed with a nod, “We’ll be taking you to the Goddess Madoka’s Silver Garden - a heaven where Puella Magi like ourselves can finally rest.”

“Heaven, huh? That sounds nice.” Nagisa said with relaxed fascination, “I can’t wait to see it.”

“Just give us a little more time.” Ligaya said, as the rumble of cannon fire and the ominous moans of the Wraiths echoed in the distance, “There are still a few things we need to do.”

From where she sat, Nagisa turned her head towards the alleyway where she saw a fierce battle taking place. The tank called _Diwata_ bore deep scratches all over its frame and its treads were damaged beyond repair, but it valiantly fired it’s new cannon and all three of its machine guns at the endless tide of white. Audrey too had turned around to face her foes and summoned a bristling battery of artillery with skilled waves of her neckerchief. Eighteen light M119 105mm guns were spaced out before the American while six heavier M777 155mm cannons stood behind her.

“A-are the two of you going to be alright?” Fright spilled again into Nagisa’s tone, “That’s way too many Wraiths…”

Indeed, the dozens of Wraiths that emerged from the fog now numbered in the hundreds. They were flooding the alleyways like the ferocious tide of a river while scores of the white creatures were approaching from the rooftops above them. Ligaya, however gave Nagisa an assuring nod. 

“We’ll be alright, Nagisa.” Ligaya said with confidence as she eyed the amber-colored cube glowing like a flare in the grey horizon, “We’re not the only ones fighting today, after all.”

As she said this, the glowing cube turned from amber to pearly white and the dark rainclouds seemed to part above the alleys of downtown Mitakihara. The sun finally started to peek through the clouds, casting rays of light upon the greying city. Then, four colorful arrows of light shot through those openings and flew towards the alleyways at breakneck speed. They were arrows of turquoise blue, maroon, lilac and powder blue that shone brightly like comets and their very presence slowly revived the vibrant colors of Mitakihara city. 

The Wraiths on the rooftops stopped in their tracks and looked up to the clouds parting in the heavens, wondering why the downpour had died down. They then watched the arrows of light that descended down to the earth that were heading straight for them. Those arrows burst into magical flashes and coalesced into the the forms of Sayaka Miki, Elise de Lamarliere, Serafina Larivenko and Michi Hideyoshi. 

With their clothes and their hair swinging wildly, the four girls fell like shooting stars headed for the sea of white, one after another. Sayaka led the group, hurtling down faster than the others as she zeroed in on the Wraiths. The blue-haired swordswoman wore a confident grin whirled her twin sabers in anticipation and the fortissimo pin in her hair reflected the distant rays of sunlight that had broken through the greyness. The cool and calm Elise followed closely behind, letting her heavy plate armor and the heavier greatsword in her right hand guide her down to the earth. Her sharp, ash grey eyes, however, belied her intense focus as she raised her greatsword to her side and prepared herself to strike. The towering Serafina was the third in line, holding onto a rapier in each hand and an excited smile as as she cast a veil of maroon light around herself and her three allies. Then, Michi brought up the rear, gliding gracefully down with her naginata firmly in her two hands. A trail of pink, cherry blossom petals followed the naginata-wielder on her descent as she closed her eyes and focused her energy.

The hordes of Wraiths gathered atop the rooftops of the city block raised their chillingly low voices, warning their kin about their unwelcome guests from up above. Those Wraiths brandished their long, twisted claws, prepared to slash down the four magi before they could land. Nagisa gasped in horror as she watched the scene and buried her face beneath her hands, afraid of what might happen to the four magi. Ligaya, however, held Nagisa closer and didn’t tear her eyes away from the heavens. 

“They’ve got this.” Ligaya said with absolute confidence. 

The maroon veil that Serafina had been casting finally spread out and wrapped the four of them completely in maroon light. Then, they all disappeared from sight, leaving the Wraiths to wonder what just happened. Even the fearful Nagisa dared to take a peek through the spaces between her fingers. 

“I-illusion magic?” Nagisa guessed, her orange eyes now aglow with awe, “Then that means…!” 

When Nagisa finally set aside her hands, a vicious flurry of slashes cut down the ranks of unprepared Wraiths on the rooftops. Then, a whirlwind of tens of thousands of cherry blossom petals came and slashed away at the white giants like small daggers and blew away the thick miasma from the city block with its sheer force. The maroon veil that cloaked the four soon dissipated and Michi and Elise appeared gliding gently down to the dead end alley where Ligaya sat with Nagisa. 

“We came as soon as we could, Ligaya.” Michi was apologetic right off the bat as she approached the Filipina with concerned urgency. Then, she saw the small white haired girl with orange hair, clinging onto Ligaya’s arm and hiding behind her. A relieved smile formed on the naginata-wielder’s face, “Though, you and Audrey have done well.”

“Mademoiselles Audrey and Ligaya were two of the strongest magi in the _Edificio Gumamela_.” Elise de Lamarliere then said as she came up to Michi’s side. A sly smirk then formed on her lips as she said, “You of all people should know what they’re capable of.”

“I never doubted their skills, not even for a second, Elise.” Michi countered craftily as she turned to the French knight. Her deep brown eyes then met Elise’s ash-grey ones and the naginata-wielder wore a kind smile, “I’m just glad to see that my sisters-in-magic are safe.”

The red-haired French girl chuckled at Michi’s earnest remark, then tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. She returned Michi’s smile and said, “That sounds like something you would say, Michi.”

“Hey you two, save it for when we get back to the Garden!” Sayaka then called out to them from the rooftops above. She then raised up the sword in her right hand, “Form up! We have a battle to fight!”

Indeed, as Sayaka spoke, a new wall of Wraiths was starting to form at at the other end of the alley and on the rooftops of the entire city block. The miasma too was reclaiming its lost ground and was spreading out to the other districts of Mitakihara City, creeping slowly towards the Mitakihara River. If left unchecked, the Wraiths would begin to sprout by the thousands all over town.

It was at this time that two more arrows of light descended from the heavens - one arrow of pearly white and another of immaculate pink. Thunder rumbled in the distance as they approached and the two arrows coalesced in midair, overlooking the entire east bank of the Mitakihara River. Lorelei Sankt appeared from the white arrow with her mighty scepter of lightning in hand, crackling with energy. The jewels of the Prussian crown she wore sparkled in the midst of the thunderstorm, but the smile on the little German’s face shone brighter.

The pink arrow, on the other hand, burst into a magnificent display of lights coalesced into the radiant form of the Goddess of Mercy. The Goddess’ wings of unblemished light were luminous and sparkled in the midst of the darkness hanging over Mitakihara City. Those wings spread out majestically and the thick miasma fizzled away into harmless mist, exposing the thousands of Wraiths that had been lurking in the shadows. Then, a longbow that resembled a rose branch with its extremities engulfed in pink, holy flame. 

From the dead end alley, Nagisa watched the Goddess with her eyes aglow with wonder. Ligaya too looked up at the Goddess with admiration and spoke to the little white-haired girl in her arms. 

“That’s the Goddess Madoka.” Ligaya said with a thankful tone, “She was the one who first brought us to the Silver Garden, and she was the one who called me and my friends to become her Archangels.” She then turned to Nagisa and smiled at her, “Thanks to her, we don’t fear anything. We can finally bring everyone home.”

“Madoka… Kaname?” Nagisa started, fumbling with her words as the name jolted her memories, “You’re talking about Madoka Kaname, right?” 

“We are.” Ligaya replied with a tilted head, puzzled by the little girl’s question. 

“There were rumors about her too - the girl who disappeared from this world.” Nagisa explained as she watched the Goddess in the heavens, forming arrows of bright pink light, “Other Puella Magi heard the leader of the Mitakihara Trio talking about her all the time.”

“Leader of the Mitakihara Trio?” Audrey asked.

“She means Homura Akemi - the Goddess Madoka’s best friend.” Michi then said as she rested the pole of her naginata on her shoulder, “Akemi-san has been coming to the cherry blossom tree in the graveyard often, so I sometimes hear her calls. Every time I do, she always wants to see Madoka.”

“All this time, Homura-neesan was the only one in this world who knew about Madoka-neesan but nobody believed her. I’m only starting to remember Madoka-neesan now.” Nagisa spoke with compassion, “The other Puella Magi called Homura-neesan slanderous names behind her back. I-if only… if only I knew the truth back then, I would have stood up for her. Madoka-neesan is real, and she’s fighting so hard for everyone’s sake.”

The little girl watched with awe now as the top of the Goddess’ bow burned with a bright pink flame. Nagisa gathered herself then turned to Ligaya with firm determination, 

“I want to join! I want to join you all and fight at Madoka-neesan’s side!” 

“Nagisa…” Ligaya was surprised by the little girl’s words and was moved to smile warmly, “I’m sure Bb. Kaname would be happy to have you.” She then embraced Nagisa and let the little girl rest her head on her shoulder, “But for now, you need to rest. You deserve it after all this time. I’ll be right here with you.” 

Nagisa finally conceded to the allure of sleep, leaning on Ligaya as she closed her eyes peacefully. It didn’t take long for the little girl to fall asleep either. It was the first truly restful moment she’s had for weeks if not months, and the first time that the pangs of her aching Soul Gem didn’t bother her in the slightest. 

While the little girl slept in Ligaya’s arms, the rest of the Archangels of the Silver Garden formed their ranks with their weapons in hand and faced off against the sea of unshrouded Wraiths. The luminous Goddess focused her energies up above and arcane symbols of intricate design were forming around her like astral halos brimming with power.

Ligaya then watched the shifting mechanisms of the steel bracelet she wore on her left wrist. The tank called _Diwata_ , in spite of the heavy damage it had already sustained, rolled up to the front lines along with Michi, Elise and the rest of the vanguard. The Filipina raised up her left hand to the heavens and six flashes of olive green light burst high above the Mitakihara City skyline, coalescing into a squadron of six FA-50PH single-engine fighter jets flying in diamond formation, armed to the teeth with AGM-65 Maverick missiles.

The Goddess Madoka saw the six jets buzz by the and flashed an appreciative smile towards Ligaya. Then, Madoka pulled back the string of her majestic rose bow with mindful care and let loose a blistering barrage of bright, pink arrows of light that illuminated the whole of Mitakihara City and revived its colors from the faded grey.

* * *

  **Epilogue**

_Mitakihara City, Spring 2088_

Homura Akemi sat down on the grassy bank of the Mitakihara River, embracing her knees as she watched the reflection of the silver moon on the flowing river. 

The evening breeze was warmer than usual, Homura thought, foretelling the coming of summer. Going town to the riverside to watch the flowing water had become part of the time-traveler’s routine and the breezes that blew by greeted her like an old friend. Sitting there by the river and listening to its calm murmur often helped clear Homura’s mind.

That evening, however, the specter of doubt was hanging around her. That darkness coalesced into a large, crow-like bird that perched on her shoulder and shed its black feathers as it spread out its wings. A chill ran up Homura’s spine as the dark bird’s talons dug deep into her shoulder.

Homura tried to brush the black bird aside and drive it away from her, but her hands passed right through the bird. This was a figment of her imagination, but it was becoming harder for her to convince herself that that was true.

The shadow of the black bird loomed over Homura and moved as if it were a part of her. The phantom creature’s grip grew tighter as it leaned down and whispered clouds of Germanic runes into Homura’s ear, 

‘ _Sie reden wieder über dich. Verleumdung. Verleumdung. Dann verschwinden sie_ _._ ’

“Shut up… shut up… shut up! You don’t have to keep telling me this - so get off of me!”

‘ _Nein! Du willst sie wieder sehen, ja? Wie weit sind Sie bereit, für sie zu gehen - für die echte Madoka Kaname?_ ’

Homura furrowed her brow and finally managed brushed the black bird off of her shoulder. The spectre faded away into a mass of black dust, but the black feathers remained in Homura’s hands. The time-traveler tossed the black feathers aside then quietly started to walk the long, lonely road home.

...  


Hidden in the canopies of the nearby trees, an Incubator watched the time-traveler with keen intent. Its tail wagged left and right as it saw the long, long shadow that Homura cast beneath the light of the silver moon. Then, another Incubator climbed up the tree and joined the first creature.

“It seems we were able to cause quite a stir,” The second Incubator reported to the first, “More than a thousand Wraiths in one summoning - and to think it was merely a byproduct!”

“A thousand Wraiths may have appeared, but they were slaughtered by that unknown force we’ve been trying to decipher. We’ve also lost a very valuable prototype.” The first Incubator’s enthusiasm was much more subdued, but its cryptic smile grew on its face, “Then again, that just comes to show… our ‘working theory’ isn’t merely a ‘theory’ anymore.” The smiling creature then turned to its kin, “The Law of Cycles exists.”

“Indeed it does.” The second Incubator nodded in agreement, “It wasn’t merely a figment of Akemi-san’s imagination - of which there seem to have been a lot of, lately.”

“Now then,” the first Incubator said with businesslike intensity, “We can begin the next phase.”

**To Be Continued**

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra Notes:
> 
> Magni Domina* - Translated as 'Great Lady', the Magni Domina is the leader of the Salvae, Terrae Magicae organization. She was in charge of appointing Carissimas and assigning them to oversee the day-to-day operations of one of the many strongholds and outposts of Salvae in the world. The Magni Domina was the strongest Puella Magi in the organization and, by extension, the strongest Puella Magi in the world while Salvae existed.
> 
> Lorelei Sankt held the title from November 1916 to March 1945 and was the only one to hold the post.
> 
> Carissima* - Translated as 'Beloved', the Carissimas were the heads of the strongholds and outposts of Salvae in the same way that Mother Superiors are the heads of convents. They were allowed to appoint Zealots who act as advisers, managers and officers who lead the Aspirants to battle Witches.
> 
> Serafina Larivenko was a rare example of a Carissima who was not assigned to oversee a chapter of Salvae due to unusual circumstances.
> 
> Elise de Lamarliere was the longest serving Carissima and also held the post from 1916 to 1945. She was also one of the few Carissimas who did not serve in her native country - she was a French girl who served in the Philippines from 1936 to 1945.
> 
> Maultier* - Logistics specialists of Salvae, Maultiers were magi who were either skilled in trading or illusion magic, but the best Maultiers were masters of both. They traveled the world and maintained the supply chain of Salvae flowing through sun and storm and war without fail. They carried all sorts of wares, from foodstuffs, medicines, money, Grief Seeds and the most advanced light arms from around the world.
> 
> Serafina Larivenko was one of the most skilled Maultiers who plied Salvae's routes throughout the Pacific Rim, but she was also assigned to run missions from Montreal all the way to Stalingrad.
> 
> Aspirant* - They are the rank and file recruits of Salvae who served under a Carissima. They, along with Zealots, are the ones who often go on Witch-hunt expeditions to gather Grief Seeds. They give their host chapter a portion of their Grief Seeds and get food, lodging, weapons and dear company in return. Many of them aspire to be Zealots, but a few dream of becoming a Carissima.
> 
> Audrey and Ligaya were Aspirants of the Manila chapter of Salvae, serving under Elise from 1942 to 1944.
> 
> 'O-chan!'* - Sayaka's nickname for Audrey
> 
> While we're on the topic, here is the outline for Sayaka's nicknames for my original cast:
> 
> Michi - Mi-chan
> 
> Audrey - O-chan (coming from the pronunciation of the 'Au' in her name)
> 
> Ligaya - Ri-chan (coming from the [mis]pronunciation of the 'Li' in her name - Engrish!)
> 
> Serafina - Sera-chan
> 
> Elise - Eri-chan (same deal as Ligaya's 'Li')
> 
> Lorelei - Ai-chan (coming from the pronunciation of the 'ei' in her name)
> 
> …


	3. Falling Slowly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa Momoe is welcomed to the Silver Garden and is offered the chance to become the Goddess Madoka's eighth Archangel. Not long after, Homura mysteriously disappears from Mitakihara. The Goddess Madoka assembles the Archangels again to save the soul of Homura Akemi.

**Prologue**

_March 7, 2088 - Sunday_

On the eleventh hour of the day, the heavy, oppressive air that hung over Mitakihara City came to pass. The thick, dark rainclouds that had lorded over the metropolis parted away and bowed out to the bright, springtime sun. As the storm drains all throughout the city sloshed and gurgled in the remains of the unusually heavy rainfall, the people of Mitakihara started to trickle out of their shelters and back into the streets. Thus, Mitakihara carried on with its day in a hurried rush to make up for lost time, completely unaware of the grand, ethereal battle that had taken place in the heart of town less than an hour ago.

At the epicenter of that battle was the dead-end alleyway where Nagisa Momoe lied in the arms of Ligaya de la Cruz, fast asleep. The Filipina hummed a lullaby from her hometown and gently caressed the little girl’s white hair as her squadron of six FA-50PH fighters flew in reconnaissance over the metropolis. All the while, a happy smile painted Nagisa’s lips as she laid peacefully in slumber. Ligaya couldn’t help but wonder what kind of dream the little girl was having.

Minutes later, the elegant figure of Lorelei Sankt glided down gently towards Ligaya’s side with her scepter of thunder in hand. She twirled the scepter around once and dissolved it in a flash of pearly white. Then, another precious stone was added to the Prussian crown that adorned the blonde German’s head. Now that she had put her weapon away, she quietly approached Ligaya and Nagisa with a bright smile on her face.

“How is Frau Momoe doing, _schwester_?” Lorelei asked kindly as she knelt down opposite to Ligaya.

“She’s sleeping soundly, Lorelei.” Ligaya then reported, pointing to the little girl’s sleeping face with her lips, “I’m kinda jealous that she can rest so well at a time like this!”

“Little kids need their sleep, Ligaya.” Lorelei then grinned, stroking Nagisa’s white hair with a gentle touch, “That’s where they get all of their boundless energy. You’d be surprised at how lively a fully-charged kid can be!” The German girl’s eyes then glowed with glee as she smiled from ear to ear, “But _mein gott!_ Frau Momoe’s as cute as a doll!”

“I know, right?” Ligaya grinned happily.

As the two girls doted fondly over the little, sleeping Nagisa, the tall Serafina Larivenko bounded off from one of the nearby buildings and landed easily on her feet the three girls.

“Report from the front - it’s a decisive victory, _tovarysh_!” Serafina said dutifully as she dissolved the rapier in her hand, “We’ve wiped out the Wraiths and cleared out the whole city.” She then stretched her sword arm a little bit and added, “Though it has been a while since we’ve been in such a big battle. It’s good to know that we’re still in top form!”

“The Goddess Madoka is on our side, so we have nothing to fear.” Lorelei confirmed with a smile, standing up now and dusting off the white, frilly, flowing skirt she wore. Then, she smiled at Ligaya and Serafina, “And as long as we’re together, there’s nothing we can’t do!”

“You can say that again, _tovarysh!_ ” Serafina agreed with a lighthearted chuckle, “Did you guys see comrades Michi and Elise go at it a while ago?” The cloak-and-rapier assassin drew her sword and started imitating the moves of the lithe naginata-wielder and the powerful greatsword-wielder, “They were like a force of nature, those two!”

Ligaya nodded in agreement but spoke with hushed excitement as she cradled the sleeping girl leaning on her, “They were! Those two have gotten really close lately. I’m glad they’re opening up to each other.”

As Ligaya was speaking, Nagisa shifted in her arms and started mumbling something incomprehensible that the Filipina and the German found too adorable to ignore. Just before she was swept away by her adoration, Ligaya quickly turned to Serafina and asked,

“Hey Serafina. We’ll be heading back to the Silver Garden soon, won’t we?”

“We will, in a little bit.” The Ukrainian reassured, but she spoke unhurriedly as she walked over to the concrete wall behind her and leaned against it, “The Goddess and Chief Sayaka said they had someone they wanted to visit in this timeline.” Serafina folded her arms and a smile formed on her lips, “I think you already know who I’m talking about.”

“Bb. Akemi, huh?” Ligaya hummed with understanding, “I guess it’s not often that they get to come back and visit Mitakihara in this era. It’s their hometown just as they remember it after all. They must have a lot of ties to this place.”

“Speaking of ties, here comes one of them.” Lorelei sad a matter-of-factly, dusting herself off once more and primping her hair with her hands as she faced the opposite end of the alleyway, “That’s… Mami Tomoe, if I’m correct.”

Serafina and Ligaya turned towards the entrance and did see the golden-haired gunner cautiously walk into the alley. Mami had alook of intense concentration, holding onto one of her rifled muskets in one hand and her golden Soul Gem in the other. Her eyes swept from left to right, then to the corner of the alley where Lorelei and company were congregated.

“ _Guten tag, schwester!_ ” Lorelei greeted her with a bright smile, walking over to the gunner and extending her hand to her, “Fancy seeing you here…”

Before Lorelei could finish, though, Mami pressed on forward and walked directly through Lorelei, giving the German girl a start. Lorelei darted to the side while Mami went all the way to the end of the alley with a puzzled expression saying,

“There’s nothing here… huh?”

Serafina finally peeled herself off the concrete wall with a sigh then said, “She can’t see us right now, Lorelei _tovarysh_.” She then watched as Mami thoroughly searched for something in that dead-end alley without noticing any of the four magi clad in colorful clothes, “We’re just visitors here in this time and place after all - we don’t exactly exist here.”

The Ukranian’s eyes then fell on the sleeping Nagisa who also seemed to be eluding Mami’s searching eyes now, “And it seems the child doesn’t exist in this world now either.”

“I guess you’re right.” Lorelei’s excitement was deflated somewhat, “We haven’t really had the chance to linger around during a mission, so I never really noticed.” The German girl then looked down to her two hands contemplatively, “All of us in the Silver Garden have… passed on, after all. One way or another.”

Another set of footsteps coming from the alleyway entrance soon reached Lorelei’s ear and drew her attention. She turned to see a red-haired spear-fighter dressed up in her magical attire just like Mami was. This must have been another one of the Goddess’ and Sayaka’s friends, thought Lorelei.

“This must be Kyouko Sakura this time.” Serafina hummed, placing a hand on her hip, “She, Mami Tomoe and Homura Akemi are the guardians of present-day Mitakihara in the current timeline. But… from what I know about them in the past…”

The Ukrainian paused knowingly in anticipation and watched as Kyouko furiously stamped down on the floor as she approached the gunner. With gritted teeth, she summoned her modular spear and pointed it straight at Mami’s back. The gunner then quickly whirled around and aimed her rifled musket at the spear-fighter with a mug of utter displeasure.

“This is my territory, Tomoe.” Kyouko spat coldly, the tip of her spear mere centimeters away from Mami’s throat. Her voice was a threatening staccato that grew in intensity, “Leave. Now!”

“Why should I leave, Sakura?” Mami replied, dropping her usual honorific spitefully and matching Kyouko’s frosty tone with her own, “We’re standing at the border of Mitakihara and Kasamino, are we not?” A hatefully sly glint in Mami’s eye accompanied a twisted smirk on her lips, “Don’t tell me you need me to point it out on a map for you.”

“Shut up, Tomoe!” Kyouko growled angrily, eyeing Mami’s throat angrily, “Are you picking a fight with me!?”

Mami feigned surprise and haughtily lashed,

“Am I? Aren’t you the one who came here pointing a weapon at me while my back was turned?”

Sparks flew as Kyouko’s burning red eyes glared at Mami’s unfathomably cold, honey-brown eyes. One false move was all it would take to paint that dead-end alleyway red in an instant. Lorelei and Ligaya had lost their tongues in shock as they watched all of this unfold before them, while Serafina folded her arms with a displeased sigh.

Before long, Kyouko clicked her tongue and conceded, lowering her spear.

“Just leave already…” Kyouko groaned flatly, more tired than frustrated this time around, “I don’t want to deal with you right now.”

Mami lowered her gun as well, her intense glare waning as she turned her head slightly to the side. There were words forming at the tip of her tongue and she wanted to reach out a kind hand towards the spear-fighter, but those words dissolved behind her pursed lips and her free hand formed a shaking fist. Kyouko, with her back turned to the gunner, mulled the exact same things, but she too did not move an inch.

“Fine.” Mami finally spoke, drawing up haughtiness from a deep well within herself. Running out of other words to say, the gunner dissolved her rifled musket and transformed back into her street clothes. Mami then started walking briskly out of the alley and Kyouko fought hard not to look at the gunner. Then, the brisk footsteps stopped.

“There _was_ a strong presence about here in this alley, Sakura. That’s why I came here.” Mami started with her back turned to the spear-fighter again, “I sensed it for a brief moment, but it disappeared all of the sudden.” She then turned and gave Kyouko a serious, sidelong glance, “Didn’t you notice how quickly the rainstorm came and went? That’s not normal.”

Kyouko was surprised, but she stayed silent. Mami, on the other hand, didn’t wait for an answer.

“That is all, Sakura.” Mami then said as she continued down the alley once more, “May this be the last time we meet.”

Kyouko clenched her fists as she watched the gunner disappear into the maze of alleyways. Then, she found an empty, tin can of peach preserves lying on the ground. Kyouko kicked the can as hard as she could then smashed it beneath her feet.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” Kyouko cursed as she stomped on the helpless can, “Mami-senpai, I hate you!” A rueful cringe then grew on her face as tears started to form at the sides of her eyes, “I was ready to give you a chance, but now I’m damn sure about it... Tomoe!.”

The spear-fighter wiped her tears then transformed into her own set of street clothes. She shoved her hands in her pockets and headed out of the alley with a bitter, defiant scowl on her lips.

Cold sweat now formed on Lorelei’s and Ligaya’s brows as the unpleasant scene was burned into their memories. The two of them thought that they knew all there was to know about the Goddess and her friends, but they couldn’t be further from the truth.

“It’s a good thing that the two of them have made amends.” Lorelei said, smiling slightly as she found a trace of silver lining, “Holding onto grudges can only bring you grief, after all.”

The German girl then squatted down to the ground and sifted through the glassy remains of the invisible dome that Audrey had destroyed. She found the largest shard buried beneath the powdered crystal then raised it up to the sun above.

“Grudges aside, we have work to do.” Lorelei said as she produced a pearly-white cloth with a flash of magic to wrap the shard in, “What sort of malice is lurking in the shadows?” The German girl then showed the shard to her allies and asked, “If we don’t exist anymore, then how did _they_ know we were here?”

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**Falling Slowly**

* * *

******Act MMXCIV, First Movement - I Dreamt That I Was Flying**

Nagisa Momoe felt light as she started to crawl out of her long, soothing slumber. The little girl had been wrapped in a tranquil dream where she was gliding gently through the cosmos, sailing through a vivid sea of stars. There, she felt weightless and spread her arms out wide like an airplane as she glided around the immaculate face of the silver moon. She licked her lips and wondered if the moon really did taste like cheese and was tempted to give it a try.

Nagisa felt herself descending, however, and she was nudged from her fanciful dream by the sudden caress of wind on her cheeks. The little girl’s white hair whipped back as she opened her eyes and saw the same see of stars around her and the temptingly cheese-like moon below. It was at this time, however, that the little girl realized she was being cradled in the arms of Ligaya de la Cruz whose wings of white were spread out wide as they flew together through that celestial field. Lorelei Sankt, Serafina Larivenko and all of the other Archangels too were flying alongside them in a loose formation, their bright wings as radiant as Ligaya’s. Then, leading them through that vast, starry space was the luminous figure of Madoka Kaname, the Goddess of Mercy whose wings warmly outshone any star in the universe.

Awestruck, Nagisa wondered if she was still wrapped up in her deep, lucid dream. The little girl eyed her two hands and saw that her silver Soul Gem ring was indeed no longer there. The Goddess Madoka then flew alongside her and Ligaya and wore a kind smile for Nagisa. The last of Nagisa’s doubts were melted away as the Goddess flapped her wings and flew on ahead of the others. This wasn’t a dream anymore, she told herself, but the thought of her flying through space in the company of angels told her otherwise.

The Goddess of Mercy answered her prayers and turned that dream into a reality. It was a fascinating sight.

Snapped out of her awe, Nagisa finally started to stir. Ligaya noticed her little passenger moving in her arms and the happy smile on her lips grew even brighter as she spoke,

“Ah, good! You’re awake now - hehe. You were sleeping so soundly that I just carried you up from Mitakihara like this. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Mm.” Nagisa shook her head with a thankful flourish and held onto Ligaya’s arms for support, “Ligaya-neesan flew so gently that I barely noticed that we’ve already left the Earth!”

“Ehehe, well you’re my first passenger, Nagisa so I’m glad.” Ligaya spoke with pride as she spread the wings behind her back, “We’re almost here, so hold on tight okay?”

Nagisa obliged then turned to see what appeared to be an island floating in the sea of stars. On that island, the little girl saw a thick forest of ginkgo trees whose canopies were painted silver in the soft light of the moon that lorded over it. The little girl’s eyes widened in fascination as colorful wisps rose up from the silvered canopies and floated around the island like a multitude of fireflies.

Ligaya sensed her little passenger’s curiosity and delight, so she asked with a playful tone, “What do you say we take the scenic route, Nagisa? It’s your first time here, so let’s make it special!”

“Eh? You mean it!?” Nagisa asked with wide eyes of delight.

“Leave it to your _Ate_ Ligaya!” The Filipina grinned. She flapped her wings then broke rank from the others, flying a little closer to the treeline and away from the vast, silvered meadow of grass. She then turned to her companions happily and said, “I’m taking Nagisa on a little tour, so let’s meet up at the gazebo in a bit, okay?”

“Ohoho, this looks fun!” Lorelei broke rank as well and flew after Ligaya’s side. She then beamed at little Nagisa and said, “There’s a lot to see here in the Silver Garden, _fraulein_ . I’ll help Ligaya show you around, _ja_?”

“I’m looking forward to it!” Nagisa said eagerly, “Let’s go!”

“Hey, wait a minute!” Sayaka tried to interject, but the three girls had already flown out of earshot, “We were supposed to go to the gazebo first, guys!”

Michi then glided by the Goddess’ Exemplar and placed a hand on her superior’s shoulder as she spoke,

“It’s alright, Sayaka-senpai. Nagisa-chan’s a child, so let her be a child. I’m sure she hasn’t had the chance to be one for a long time. And look at those bright smiles! Surely the Goddess wouldn’t get mad at them for that.”

“That may be true…” Sayaka sighed then mumbled in an inaudible whisper, “They should have at least asked for permission though, you know...”

Michi turned innocently to her superior, wondering what Sayaka was mumbling about. Elise de Lamarliere, however, joined in and flew alongside them to chime in her thoughts as well,

“I agree with Michi, _mademoiselle Miki_. During our time, the youngest Puella Magi were the ones who suffered the most. They lost their childhoods at a more tender time than we did, after all, carried deeper scars than us at the end of it all. They also happened to be the favorite hosts of the Taint of the Dreadnaught.”

Sayaka then watched Lorelei and Ligaya - the youngest of the Archangels - and their passenger Nagisa with a more compassionate eye then quietly stole a glance at Michi.  She then conceded a small smile of defeat and whispered,

“You always take up Mi-chan’s side, Eri-chan.”

The Exemplar then hummed out of curiosity as she asked,

“Why don’t you join them too, Mi-chan? You’re even younger than Ai-chan, aren’t you?”

“The time I get to spend with my family in my Oshimahana realm is solace enough for this poor soul, senpai. Besides, I’m the Goddess Madoka’s left hand so I still have work to do. Momoe-chan’s sanctum isn’t finished yet.”

Sayaka laughed with sympathy,

“Our work never ends, no? Even in the afterlife…”

* * *

**Act MMXCIV, Second Movement - To Live A Happy Dream**

Nagisa Momoe basked in the gentle caress of the winds as she flew in the arms of Ligaya de la Cruz through the Silver Garden. The little girl took in the sights with wide, fascinated eyes and while the eager Lorelei Sankt flew alongside them and narrated their journey with gusto,

“What we’re flying over now is what we call the ‘Barrier Forest’, _schwester_ Nagisa. It’s a thick forest of ginkgo trees where a lot of the girls in the Silver Garden like to play.”

“Lorelei and I go out here from time to time too.” Ligaya chimed with a chuckle, “I’ve been trying to teach Lorelei how to climb a tree, but she can’t seem to get the handle of it!”

“Hey, I’ve been trying my best here~!” Lorelei argued with a pout.

“Ehehe~, I can teach you how to climb a tree too if you want Lorelei-neechan.” Nagisa offered.

“Eh? Am I the only one who really doesn’t know how to climb a tree here?” Lorelei spoke with blank eyes of disbelief. Then, the three of them shared a hearty laugh and carried on.

The girls circled around the Barrier Forest then emerged from the woods and landed on the soft meadow at the foot of a large door-like threshold that led into a curious hallway which stretched out as far as Nagisa’s eyes could see. Soft, white clouds seemed to form the floor and the ceiling of the hall and a myriad of smaller thresholds in the shape of portafinestra doors floated around.

Lorelei and Ligaya dissolved their wings and the German girl put a hand on her hip as she continued,

“This is the threshold into our ‘Cloister of Clouds’. In here, the sanctums of every Puella Magi that we have saved throughout history lies - including ours and yours.”

“My own sa-sanctum…?” Nagisa stuttered, not knowing what else to say.

“A sanctum is a place and time where you feel the most at home.” Ligaya answered, “My sanctum’s my hometown in Taysan, Batangas in the year 1939. Lorelei’s is her home in Berlin in 1913. The Goddess Madoka made those sanctums for us and filled them without fondest memories.”

“What’s my sanctum, then?”

 

The Filipina girl reached out to Nagisa with a smile and said,

“It’s being prepared right now. Would you like to see?”

Nagisa gave Ligaya a gamely nod and took the Filipina’s hand in her own. She then let Ligaya lead her into the Cloister of Clouds while Lorelei followed at her side. Nagisa listened to their footsteps fading away in the vastness of the Cloister and watched as the clouds swirled around her ankles and hid her shoes in a veil of white. The little girl browsed through the portafinestra windows that floated along the Cloister and watched scenes of young girls reliving their fondest memories after being saved from a lifetime of fighting. All eight million of them there in the Cloister were living their happy dreams. Soon, Nagisa thought, she would be one of them too.

The three of them then came across a portafinestra door where a pair of magi with thick paint brushes and cans of white paint were huddled. The two magi were busy painting the frame of the portafinestra door and didn’t notice Nagisa and the two Archangels approaching until they were only a few feet away.

The first magi was a seventeen-year old French-Canadian who was much taller than the two youngest Archangels and had a husky frame. She wore her straight, dark brown hair in a neat bob cut and had sharp eyes colored light coffee. She wore a tan beret with a halo of brown fur on her head and a light blue Great War infantry jacket with unfortunate splatters of white paint.

The second magi, on the other hand, was a fourteen-year old Filipina who stood a hair shorter than Lorelei. She had thick, curly and unruly black hair similar to Ligaya’s that she tried to cover with a khaki Panama hat. She wore a simple white _camisa_ that would have hidden the paint splatters perfectly if it weren’t for its blue ribbon at the collar and her long, khaki-turned-off-white skirt.

The first magi set aside her paint brush and stood up in attention while the second magi followed suit. The first magi then greeted the two Archangels,

“ _Bonne apres-midi_ , _mademoiselle_ Ligaya, Magni Domina. Congratulations on the successful mission. Apologies for our haggard looks - the rush job on _mademoiselle_ Momoe’s realm has made casualties of our clothes!”

Lorelei greeted the first magi with a smile and a graceful curtsy,

“ _Danke,_ Anne-Marie - and you know _Frau_ Miki might even say that white splatters on blue are fashionable in the current year! But _bitte,_ please... you don’t have to be so stiff around us. I’m not the Magni Domina of Salvae anymore and we Archangels are girls enjoying our afterlives just as much as you.”

Ligaya then stepped forward this time and beamed at the second magi saying,

“This is the new lease on life we’ve been waiting for all his time, Esperanza, so let’s not weigh it down with titles and such. And besides, we did our fair share of painting when we were in the _Edificio Gumamela_ . We were nowhere near Elise’s skill, but hey - we tried _, diba_?”

The Filipina then showed the Anne-Marie and Esperanza the little girl who had been holding her hand and tagging behind. Ligaya brought Nagisa to her side and said,

“Oh! And we brought Nagisa Momoe with us too - isn’t she the cutest little thing?”

Esperanza covered her mouth with her hands and broke rank as she gasped,

“ _Susmaryosep ka,_ Ligaya _!_ She’s an angel!”

Anne-Marie folded her arms and held her ground but she seemed to be stealing interested glances at the little child. Nagisa felt the weight of the stares of the ones gathered around her and she wondered if spirits still found things ‘cute’ in the afterlife. Deep inside, though, the compliments made her feel a little happy.

Anne-Marie then cleared her throat, pulled the overwhelmed Esperanza back to her side then said,

“We weren’t expecting _mademoiselle_ Momoe to go straight here, but if you don’t mind the smell of paint too much then you’re welcome to go on inside. The Goddess and _mademoiselle_ Hideyoshi are already inside making the finishing touches.”

“ _Danke, danke!_ We’ll just take a quick peek.” Lorelei beamed at the French-Canadian. She then turned to Ligaya and Nagisa and asked, “Shall we go?”

Nagisa promptly took Lorelei’s and Ligaya’s hand and stepped through the freshly-painted threshold as Anne-Marie and Esperanza held the door open for them. Once they crossed through, Nagisa found herself at the entrance of the _Mirai 812_ mall in the Eighth District of Mitakihara City. The whole mall was adorned in Christmas and New Year’s decorations with trumpet-playing angels hanging from the ceiling while the Mitakihara Senior High School concert band was playing holiday favorites at the lobby.

Nagisa whirled around in wonder as she took in the sights and sounds in absolute wonder. The little girl’s eyes widened as she said,

“This was the grand opening of the _Mirai 812_ mall! Christmas eve of 2087! It seems so long ago already!”

The little girl then noticed the distinct smell of cheese and she hopped up and down excitedly as she cried,

“That’s the super limited edition Mirai Special Cheesecake! It’s the mall patisserie’s holiday-only special cheesecake! It’s the best cheesecake in the world - come on!”

With wings on her feet, Nagisa pulled Lorelei and Ligaya through the festive mall towards a patisserie in the second floor. When they approached the doors of the patisserie, however, Nagisa curiously lost steam and she started to hide her face from the two Archangels. She let go of Lorelei’s and Ligaya’s hands, then held onto the handles of the shop’s double doors, but she couldn’t seem to find the strength to open them.

Lorelei and Ligaya each laid a supportive hand on Nagisa’s shoulders and quietly urged her on. Nagisa closed her eyes and took a moment to breathe as she gathered her resolve. Once her heart was prepared, the little girl opened the patisserie doors.

At the heart of the patisserie, Nagisa saw a tall, round table matching tall chairs where the Goddess Madoka and Michi Hideyoshi were having tea with a frail yet peaceful young woman with flowing white hair. Nagisa’s orange eyes met with the young woman’s and she eked out with a cracked voice,

“Ma… ma?”

The young woman smiled back at Nagisa and called out to her,

“Bebe.”

“Mama!”

Nagisa ran through the patisserie doors and burst towards the table with tears streaking down her cheeks. Nagisa’s mother climbed down from the tall chair then caught her daughter in a midair embrace. Nagisa held her mother in her arms tightly and recalled,

‘That’s right… mother was frail, but she was still strong back then. She had already survived cancer once and the two of us were celebrating at the new mall. One month from this time, her cancer would relapse and her health would deteriorate - and the Incubator made its offer to me. Mother died before I could make a wish, and I became a Puella Magi for something I didn’t care for.’

The little girl buried her head in her mother’s modest bosom and wept as she spoke. All the words that Nagisa had been holding in her heart for her mother were welling up in her heart. The words threatened to overflow and shatter the dam, but it soon became too painful for her to speak. The tears flowed down Nagisa’s cheeks, but she couldn’t utter even a word.

Suddenly, Nagisa felt the stroke of her mother’s hand fondly combing her hair.

“Bebe, I’m here with you now and that’s all that matters to me. I was worried about you, you know! Kaname-san and Hideyoshi-san were telling me about this whole ‘Puella Magi’ business and about how they rescued you.”

Nagisa buried her head deeper in her mother’s bosom,

“I’m sorry, mama.”

Nagisa’s mother tightened her embrace then wore a reassuring smile. Michi and the Goddess Madoka watched the scene from across the table then turned to each other with bright smiles. Lorelei and Ligaya, meanwhile, looked on with amazement. This was the first time they had seen a reunion besides their own.

Ligaya joined her hands behind her back and hummed,

“So this is what Michi does all the time, huh?”

Lorelei nodded and flashed the Filipina a smile,

“Eight million reunions and counting, and Michi has had a hand in almost every single one. If there’s one thing that the Taint of the Dreadnaught gives us, it’s empathy - nay, sympathy - for those who have become Witches. It must have been why the Goddess Madoka chose Michi to be her left hand.”

All of the sudden, Lorelei felt Michi’s left hand on her shoulder.

“But the Goddess Madoka is still the one who is able to look into the hearts of everyone, you two. I have merely lent her a hand - as have all the Magi of the Interior. We have already done our part - so let us leave Momoe-chan and her mother be for the time being. I believe that have a lot of catching up to do.”

* * *

**Act MMXCV - The Eighth Archangel**

Later on in the evening, Nagisa Momoe returned to the Goddess’ meadow and climbed up the staircase of the wooden gazebo at the heart of the silvered plane. The little girl then felt the lively aura coming from within the gazebo as the varied clatter of utensils and teacups reached her ears and the smell of fresh food and drinks reached her nose. That aura only grew as she stepped into the gazebo itself as she saw the Goddess Madoka and her seven Archangels seated together at the table.

The magnificent sight swept away Nagisa’s words as she regarded the wonderful gazebo. At the heart of the gazebo, the little girl saw the pristine, wooden table with eight sides, eight distinct lawn chairs lined up around it and baskets of food and pots of tea set atop a neat, white tablecloth. It was like the fancy country club luncheons that she had seen in the past. Above the table, she saw a brass chandelier with eight glass-cased lanterns that held flames burning in the bright colors of the magi seated at the table.

On one hand, Nagisa felt as if she had stepped into a heavenly banquet of ethereal deities in a sacred shrine. On the other hand, she felt the earthly, human warmth of a group of friends having a tea party on a fine summer evening. The Goddess Madoka and her seven Archangels were indeed divine beings, but they were every bit as human as her. In that moment, more than a pantheon, Nagisa saw a family of sisters-in-magic and that put the little girl’s heart at ease.

“Welcome to the gazebo, Nagisa-chan. I’m glad you could make it.” The Goddess Madoka spoke, “Would you like to join us?”

As the Goddess spoke, a ninth, white lawn chair appeared with a flash of bright light between Lorelei’s and Ligaya’s seat. The German and the Filipina gestured Nagisa to their side and the little girl happily obliged. Just like that, she found herself seated between Lorelei and Ligaya as she happily munched on cheeses from all over the world. It truly was bliss.

Once Nagisa settled down with a cup of chamomile tea, the little girl looked into her reflection in the tea and spoke with conviction,

“You know - when I got to talk with mama again, I had second thoughts about becoming an Archangel. It was something I said in the spur of the moment, after all. It didn’t occur to me yet that I had passed away and that I was going to be brought to paradise. It’s been so long since I got to sleep without worrying about my Soul Gem or eating more than convenience store food - and it’s been so long since I got to see my beloved mama. I realized that this was my chance to rest and enjoy the afterlife, and eight million others thought the same way too.”

The little girl’s eyes then swept from one end of the table to the other and said,

“Frankly, I was wondering why Lorelei-neesan, Ligaya-neesan and everyone else here decided to keep on fighting and carry everyone on their shoulders like this. But having tea with everyone like this really puts things into perspective for me. The eight of you seem like a family to me - a family that I want to be a part of, and a family that I want to protect.”

The little girl then raised her eyes up to meet the Goddess Madoka’s and she firmly declared,

“I’ve made my decision. More than anything else, I want to become an Archangel, Madoka-neesan!”

A serious expression grew on the Goddess’ face as she looked back into Nagisa’s eyes.

“Nagisa-chan. As you have already seen, the call of an Archangel is not an easy one. The Archangels help me to help others make peace with themselves so that we may bring them to paradise. Naturally, this means that Archangels must be able to make peace with themselves. We will be carrying the burdens of others on our shoulders and will help them make a home here in the Silver Garden. If you have the

Madoka’s smile then slowly returned to her lips,

“If you have the heart to carry these burdens once more, Nagisa-chan, then I would be happy to have you at my side.”

A long pause then fell over the gazebo. All eyes were fixed on the little, white-haired girl as she pursed her trembling lips with deep contemplation. The little girl then rose up from her said and repeated with firm conviction,

“I want to become an Archangel!”

The Goddess Madoka smiled and the flames of the chandelier seemed to smile with her. Madoka walked over to Nagisa’s side and cupped her hands together. She then cast a faint ball of orange light that floated above the level of her eyes and Nagisa’s. Nearby wisps of light wandering around the silvered meadow then swirled around the gazebo like a carrousel of colors. The wisps spun around and around the gazebo and then joined with the orange light in a fascinating yet orderly procession. Nagisa watched as the orange ball of light grew ever so slightly with each wisp and then coalesced into a small, black trumpet with polka dots of blue, red and yellow.

The trumpet glided gently down into the Goddess’ cupped hands and the Goddess offered the black instrument to Nagisa.

“The magic that I offer you does not come from a Soul Gem like the magic of the Puella Magi of old.” Madoka explained as she gently placed the trumpet in Nagisa’s hands, “Instead, this magic comes from the hope that you bear in your heart. That hope will be the source of your strength.”

Nagisa felt the familiar weight and texture of the trumpet in her hands. It was the perfect fit in her small hands and she could feel her hope emanating from the instrument.

“From now on, I will be counting on you. Nurture the hope in your heart and grow stronger.” Madoka then said with an encouraging tone, “Your training begins tomorrow after you’ve settled in, Nagisa-chan. Sayaka-chan’s going to be your instructor, so learn quickly and eagerly from her, okay?” The Goddess then smiled upon the little girl and said, “Once you’re ready, I will give you your very own wings so you can fly at my side. What do you say?”

The eyes of the little girl grew wide as she held the black trumpet close to her heart. Tears once again formed at the sides of her eyes as she managed to return the Goddess’ smile. With glad tears rolling down her cheek, Nagisa opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but she stopped halfway. Instead, she wore a thankful smile that shone bright in the midst of her tears. That tearful smile told Madoka and everyone else in the Gazebo that evening that Nagisa had already made up her mind.

“From now on, until the end of time - I’ll be in your care!”

* * *

  **First Interlude**

_Mitakihara City, Autumn 2088_

“Tch… it’s really starting to get cold out, huh?” Kyouko grumbled as she stuffed one hand in the pockets of her teal hoodie and wiped her dripping nose with the other, “Why can’t it just be summer all the time!?”

“If it was summer all the time, we wouldn’t have the seasons, Sakura-san.” Mami chuckled beside Kyouko and handed the red-haired girl a handkerchief, “And we wouldn’t be able to enjoy all the seasonal foods that we love! _Sanma_ fish, pumpkin croquettes, hot pots...” The gunner then smiled at her companion, “and apples are tastier in the autumn!”

“Hrm… I guess you have a point, Mami.” Kyouko conceded with a grin, wiping her nose as they trod along down a road that ran alongside the west bank of the Mitakihara River. Dried leaves fallen from the nearby trees covered most of the paved path, crunching crisply beneath the lively couple’s feet as their spirited banter seemed to warm the frosty Siberian winds that blew by.

Two or three paces behind the pair, however, Homura Akemi followed in contemplative silence with her hands tucked in the pockets of her purple-and-white knit sweater. The thick, red ribbon that the time-traveler wore in her hair swayed in the wind with the locks of her raven black hair, drawn to her thoughts that were far, far away from the Mitakihara autumn. She could hear Mami and Kyouko talking happily about some topic that didn’t even register in Homura’s mind. It was as if the gunner and the spear-fighter were speaking in foreign languages that came like incomprehensible whispers from worlds away.

“Oy, Homura! Ooooy~!” Kyouko’s call finally managed to cross through those worlds in clear Japanese, giving Homura a start. The time-traveler caught the flash of a crafty grin on the spear-fighter’s face, followed by a swift, “Think fast!”

The spear-fighter then suddenly lobbed a plump, round fruit towards Homura without warning. The time-traveler’s reflexes kicked in and she caught the fruit in her hand. Homura’s brow then rose with a sliver of curiosity as she eyed the fruit she caught.

“A peach?” Homura asked, turning to her two allies.

“Yeah, peaches.” Kyouko grinned at the time-traveler, “It’s nice to change things up every once in a while, y’know! And besides, they Mami says that she can make some desserts out of em.”

“Are desserts all you ever think about, Sakura-san?” Mami chuckled as she took a peach from a paper bag that Kyouko was carrying, “You’re such a helpless child!”

“Can’t help it.” Kyouko stuck out her tongue and took out a peach for herself, “I’ve missed your cooking after all this time, Mami.”

Mami’s face grew deep red, but she wore a small smile and gave a hushed, determined, “Mm.” Once again, the atmosphere around the two grew warm and they were wrapped up again in their own little world - a world that Homura simply couldn’t fathom.

‘After all this time...’ was the only phrase that stuck to Homura’s mind as she lagged further and further behind her two allies. The time traveler felt the world around her grow slow and dull as the yellow-brown hues of the autumn seemed to drain away into a bland greyness. A haggard air loomed over Homura Akemi, colder than the Siberian winds that blew, and the time-traveler stopped walking altogether. Rings were forming around Homura’s eyes from months of stress started to catch up with her and tears that she had held back for so long were starting to break through their faltering threshold.

“Madoka…” Homura whimpered in a voice that hardly made a sound, drowned out mercilessly by the deafening silence that had formed around the growingly isolated time-traveler. Mami’s and Kyouko’s voices grew muffled once more, robbed of its vibrant color by the looming greyness. All the while, Homura’s vision started to wash and warp, turning the city around her into a depthless blur. It became hard to distinguish Mami from Kyouko and Kyouko from Mami even if they were walking ahead by just a few paces.

Was the magic that sharpened her eyesight starting to wane? That wasn’t it, Homura thought. As a matter of fact, the scene around her seemed to grow clearer and clearer with each passing second. In that vivid clarity, the warped shapes of Mami and Kyouko took on new entirely new forms. Homura stopped in her tracks and her eyes grew wide with both fascination and horror.

Walking on one side was the cheerfully carefree Sayaka Miki whose white cape swayed left and right to the tune of the blowing Siberian winds and whose golden fortissimo hairpin shimmered in the grey sunlight. At Sayaka’s side was the radiant figure of Madoka Kaname, the Goddess of Mercy herself. The Goddess Madoka wore her immaculate, free flowing astral dress and emanated a soft, pink glow that reclaimed the colors of the riverbank scene from the grey and outshone the long-gone summer sun.

Homura’s heart throbbed and the time-traveler heard its beating in her ears. Madoka and Sayaka weren’t supposed to be here, Homura tried to reason with herself. The two of them weren’t supposed to exist in that world anymore… and yet, there they were before her very eyes.

Then, Madoka and Sayaka stepped off from the road, giggling merrily as they ran together down the grassy, grey riverbank and towards the waters of the Mitakihara River. Like a cord stretched out further and further, Homura’s longing heart gnawed away at her mind’s reason. It didn’t take long for that cord to snap. The peach that Homura had been holding onto slipped from her hands as the time-traveler cried in desperation,

“... Madoka!”

...

“Oy, Mami.” Kyouko mused as she and Mami were still walking down the road, “Did ya hear something just now?”

“I think so…” Mami stopped in her tracks with a worried expression, “What’s more is… I can feel some sort of presence nearby.” The gunner then whipped out her golden Soul Gem and watched as the light within it danced ominously, “There’s no miasma at all, so it can’t be a Wraith…”

“What the hell is it then?” Kyouko’s brow crumpled as she brought out her own gem as well. The spear-fighter then turned around and asked, “What’cha think, Homura?”

The time-traveler, however, wasn’t behind them anymore.

She was nowhere to be found.

…

“Madoka!” cried Homura as she took off after the riverbound phantoms with reckless abandon. Homura’s breath and the beating of her heart filled her ears as she chased after the figures of Madoka and Sayaka down the riverbank. Somehow, in her haste, the time-traveler realized that she wasn’t wearing her shoes. She then tripped on the way down and scraped her knee on a patch of rough earth. Drops of Homura’s blood trickled down onto the blades of grey grass, but the time-traveler picked herself up and ran after the phantoms once more.

“Madoka, wait!” Homura pleaded tearfully as she caught up to the two phantoms, “Take me with you, please!”

Homura reached out for the figure of the Goddess Madoka, captivated by the phantom’s hand. More than anything else, the time-traveler longed to hold her dearest friend’s hand in hers even once - even if it was just a dream. However, once Homura finally reached the phantoms, she ran straight through the immaterial beings and plunged into the waters of the Mitakihara River.

...

“Akemi-san!” Mami suddenly cried as she heard the splash. She and Kyouko quickly rushed down to the side of the river where the time-traveler had fallen in. The gunner and the spear-fighter fished Homura out of the river and brought her over to the grassy riverbanks to dry up.

“What the hell happened to you, Homura?” Kyouko asked bluntly, concern etched on her face and in her tone.

Homura didn’t reply. A shadow hung over the time-traveler’s eyes as the cold water of the river dripped down from her locks of raven black hair and from her now damp sweater. Blood was dripping from the fresh wound of her knee and there were no shoes on her feet. As a matter of fact, Mami and Kyouko found Homura’s pair of loafers placed neatly together on the paved riverside road. It was almost as if she had taken off her shoes carefully and deliberately, arranging them before running off recklessly into the river.

On top of that, the lights of Mami’s and Kyouko’s Soul Gems had stopped their ominous dance.

“Go on without me, you two.” Homura’s voice was tired as she picked herself up from the grass, but she spoke with finality, “I’m going home.”

The time-traveler then turned around and started walking away at a brisk pace, giving neither Kyouko nor Mami a chance to speak. Even if they were given the chance, however, neither of them would have known what to say or do. Thus, the two of them watched as the time-traveler climbed up the grassy riverbank up to the paved riverside road, put on her two neatly arranged shoes and walked away with a cloud hanging over her head.

“I know Homura’s been acting weird lately…” Kyouko started, absolutely puzzled. Then, she saw the peach that she gave to Homura, squashed on the concrete road. Her brow then crumpled with frustration, “But really… what the hell’s going on with her?”

“She’s been growing more and more distant, that Akemi-san…” Mami frowned as she watched the figure of the time-traveler disappear in the distance, “I feel like I can’t reach out to her anymore…” She joined her hands and placed them over her heart, “I’m worried about her.”

As the gunner and the spear-fighter looked on, the cold Siberian winds blew away any trace of the warm little world that had formed around the pair just minutes ago. Then, on the rough patch of earth stained crimson in Homura’s blood, red spider lilies started to bloom unnoticed by the gunner and the spear-fighter. Those devilish, ominous blossoms then started to spring up alongside the west bank of the Mitakihara River, reclaiming the ground from the yellow-brown of the autumn. All the while, a mischievous Incubator perched on a tree looked upon the scene with a devious smile.

* * *

**Act MMXCVI - Hypothesis**

_November 14, 1913_

The last few days of autumn in the thriving city of Berlin, Germany were cozy and cool as the last of the brown and yellow leaves fell from the bare branches of _linden_ trees to the tune of the gentle breeze. At a cul-de-sac in a small, rustic township of the German capital, tucked between the waters of the River Spree and the lush, albeit bare forest of the Großer Tiergarten, a small portafinestra windowed door materialized with a magical flash. The door opened and the radiant figure of the Goddess Madoka stepped into the little township’s cobblestone streets, followed by the usually happy-go-lucky Exemplar, Sayaka Miki.

Normally, the Goddess and her dear, blue-haired friend would stop for a while and take their time when visiting the places of heaven, especially those of the other Archangels. The two of them, however strode forward with a thread of urgency in her step as she made her way to the grounds of the distinct, stone mansion at the end of the cul-de-sac.

“Looks like Lorelei was finally able to crack the case on that shard she brought back.” Sayaka aired out her thoughts as they stepped through the mansion’s open gates, “She’s been working on that for a little while now and all. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this soon.”

As the two of them crossed through the mansion’s front yard, one of the heavy, handsome, oaken doors opened for them. Lorelei Sankt poked out from behind the open door with her usual bright smile, but she greeted her visitors with a courteous yet curiously quiet whisper,

“ _Guten tag!_ I’m glad you two could make it.”

Behind Lorelei’s whisper, the sounds of an old, grand piano and the voices of singing little children seemed to come from deeper inside the mansion. From what little Sayaka could hear, they were doing vocalization exercises - or at least they were trying to do so. None of that concerned Sayaka, however, as she came forward to her host eager to get down to business.

“Yo, Ai-chan.” Sayaka greeted with her unusual haste and unusual lack of her carefree relish, “Madoka and I came as fast as we could. We heard you found out something about the shard.”

“Eh? Uh… yeah.” The little German girl seemed to be taken by surprise, “I did find something out, but… now that you’re here...” Fidgeting now, Lorelei’s tone deflated as she longingly shifted her eyes from the mansion’s salon from where the piano vocalizations seemed to come then to the Goddess. She then gathered herself and faced the Chief Archangel and said, “I was hoping to show the two of you something I prepared.”

Sayaka tilted her head innocently and asked, “Did you find something else about the shard?”

The golden-haired host blushed hard, her cheeks red with embarrassment. A tense moment passed where Sayaka looked from the distressed Lorelei to the calm and amused Goddess beside her and then to the doorway. The muffled choir of children had finally started harmonizing in a loose unison, slowly but surely growing into a heartfelt melody led by the grand piano. Only then did Sayaka realize what Lorelei had been trying to say and her mouth formed into a silent ‘o’. The damage had already been done and Sayaka knew that she was at fault. It was at this time, however, that the Goddess Madoka stepped in and laid a hand on Sayaka’s shoulder.

“Now, now, Sayaka-chan, we don’t have to rush straight to business.” Madoka said kindly, mediating the situation as she turned to her host with her gentle smile, “We’ve come all this way, and Lorelei-chan went through the trouble to prepare something for us.” She then faced Sayaka happily and asked, “We can hold off on the shard for a little while, can’t we, Sayaka-chan?”

“Y-yeah…! Of course!” Sayaka immediately agreed and faced their German host with great embarrassment. The swordswoman then gave Lorelei a deep, apologetic bow, “I’m sorry, Ai-chan - I didn’t mean to just brush you off like that.”

Lorelei stood at the door for a moment in silence before her crestfallen expression waned. She then shook her head and managed to give Sayaka a small smile of forgiveness.

“It’s alright.” Lorelei assured in a more lighthearted tone. She then spoke again in a whisper, and opened the oaken door wider for her guests, “Come on in, you two. They’re about to start.”

Sayaka felt Madoka’s reassuring hand on her shoulder tighten its grip ever so slightly and she gave off a sigh of relief. With that, Sayaka and the Goddess stepped into the threshold and let their host Lorelei lead them into the stone mansion’s quaint foyer then into the halls.

Looking around the foyer and the halls as they passed by, Sayaka couldn’t help but think of the phrase ‘turn of the century’. The rich walls of aged, masoned stone and handsome wooden panels in Baroque style and painted family portraits dating back to the the days of Prussia mingled well with the flourishes of 20th century’s _Jugendstil_ paintings and magazines, electric lights, telephones and a phonograph stacked with records from all over the world. There were even issues of the American _Popular Mechanics_ that had their own row in the oaken bookshelves of the small library they passed by.

‘That’s Lorelei Sankt for you.’ Sayaka hummed to herself, appreciating the rich details of the Sankt family’s ancestral home. Her eyes shifted from the back of their golden-haired German host to the smiling Goddess beside her and wondered how much care and thought Madoka put into making this realm for Lorelei.

The three of them then reached the mansion’s salon where more than a dozen children - boys and girls who were even younger than Nagisa Momoe - were gathered around the grand piano at the heart of the posh yet homey room. The head of wavy red hair of Elise de Lamarliere was seated behind the piano before a thin stack of sheet music, instructing the children in an organic blend of German and French as she played simple chords. The red-haired pianist then noticed the three spectators enter the salon, finished off the bar of music she had been playing before greeting them with a nuanced, “ _Bienvenue_.”

Once Elise said this, the children looked over to Lorelei and her guests and came forward to meet them. Madoka and Sayaka quickly found themselves swarmed by the happy children. The Goddess graciously greeted the kids, patting their heads and saying kind words to them in straight German while Sayaka felt a little bit claustrophobic. She had never been good with children after all.

Before long, Elise managed to herd the children back into some semblance of an orderly rank and Lorelei brought Madoka and Sayaka over to a couch opposite to the piano where three glasses and a corked bottle were waiting for them.

“It’s grape juice, _mein Freundinnen_.” Lorlei reassured with a chuckle as she poured glasses for her guests then for herself, “The two of you are still too young for alcohol, after all.”

‘Can’t argue with that,’ Sayaka thought as she snickered at the remark. She then picked up her glass and toasted with Madoka and their host that afternoon. When Madoka and Sayaka had settled down, Elise began to play the simple tune from the sheet music and the children followed with their song in cheerful, albeit heavily accented English.

...

“ _Swing low, sweet chariot,_

_Coming for to carry me home,_

_Swing low, sweet chariot,_

_Coming for to carry me home._ ”

...

“Wallace Willis, huh?” Sayaka noted with interest, very much familiar with the song, “Sounds like the 40’s Bonhoeffer version too.”

“I like that version the most.” Lorelei explained as the children beamed and clapped to the beat of the hearty song, “ _Herr Bonhoeffer_ brought the song to _Deutschland_ at a time when people were looking for hope.” The German girl then sat on an armchair beside her guests and spoke with a tinge of emotion, “The two World Wars came and went like violent storms, and the ones who suffered the most were the children - orphaned and robbed of the bright futures they once looked forward to.”

“When the Great War started in 1914…” Lorelei then continued, taking pauses here and there to measure her words, “my... family offered to transform this place, our _Tiergartenhaus_ into an orphanage. I came from a rich, landed family, yes, but I felt a connection with the _Waisenkinder_ , the orphaned kids we welcomed under our wing.” Lorelei then played with the silver ring she wore on her finger thoughtfully, “It was because I came to realize that sooner or later, we Puella Magi also find ourselves to be orphans in our own right. That was the reason why I was inspired to form Salvae, Terrae Magicae - but even that was… a fleeting dream of a foolish girl like myself.”

“ _Mein Göttin,_ Sayaka, I know this is a rather roundabout way of saying this.” Lorelei then said shyly as she joined her hands together. She then took a quick breath then placed her hands over her heart, faced her two guests and then said, “You’ve brought that impossible dream of mine into reality. You’ve given every Puella Magi hope… and returned the future that was robbed from them.”

As the last refrain of the children’s song came, a bright smile grew on Lorelei’s lips and she faced Madoka wholeheartedly,

“Thanks to you, we were finally able to come home.”

The song then came to an end and Lorelei and her two guests gave Elise and the children a standing ovation, to which the the children bowed proudly then smiled. Elise then gathered the children around the piano, gave her remarks on the performance before shepherding the children outside to play in the yard. Once Elise and the children gathered their coats and scarves and stepped into the cool November air of Berlin, Madoka took Lorelei’s hands. The German girl quickly grew flustered, but the Goddess wore a luminous smile that spoke straight to Lorelei’s heart.

“Lorelei-chan. Thank you for believing in me, but remember this,” Madoka said with the tenderest warmth, “I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without you and everyone else at my side.” The Goddess then tilted her head and beamed, “So please continue to stay at my side, Lorelei-chan. We will bring everyone home.”

“By your grace, my Goddess.” Lorelei said with conviction as she held Madoka’s hands in hers.

Sayaka Miki placed her hand on her hip and smiled as she watched the warm scene from the side. Even after all that time, behind the divine mask, Madoka still hadn’t changed. The swordswoman was still amazed by the sheer thoughtfulness and kindness of her best friend and couldn’t help but feel a little bit jealous. As she was thinking of this, the oaken grandfather clock at the corner of the parlor struck four times, marking the change of the hour. Sayaka’s eyes were drawn to the swinging pendulum of the grandfather clock and her lips slanted in a complex expression. She turned away from the pendulum with a displeased sigh.

“In any case,” Lorelei then said as she placed her hands behind her back, “I guess we can get down to business now. Please follow me to my workshop downstairs. I’ll show you what I’ve found out about the shard.”

With that, Lorelei led her two guests back into the mansion hall and down a flight of steps that brought them into the _Tiergartenhaus_ cellar. Kerosene lamps illuminated the basement, revealing the barrels of food, wine and all sorts of supplies. A handful of magi from the Interior, junior officers under Anne-Marie Doucette, were also milling around the area, inspecting and unloading the contents of wooden crates with markings of cyrillic letters. The magi of the Interior stopped what they were doing and stood in attention for Lorelei and her guests, revealing the M16A1 rifles they had been unloading.

“Sera-chan’s been busy too, huh?” Sayaka thought out loud as she and her companions were saluted by the Magi of the Interior. Sayaka saluted back, but Lorelei and Madoka were embarrassed by the stiff gestures.

“Most of the Magi of the Interior are ex-Salvae, so they’re used to our old hierarchy. Saluting is second nature to many of them.” Lorelei explained, “That said, the girls of Salvae often took up a craft while they stayed with us. Quite a number of them were weaponsmiths - and these guns are products of their hobbies.”

The new guns looked so much lighter than the wood-stocked, WW2-era guns that the girls of the Interior had been lugging around for a while. It made Sayaka feel a little more at ease, chuckling as she said, “The girls of the Interior won’t be carrying guns taller than Nagisa standing on her tip-toes anymore.”

Lorelei and the Goddess laughed, covering their mouths as approached the thick wooden door of Lorelei’s workshop. The German girl fished out ring of keys and started looking for the right one.

“Speaking of little Nagisa,” Lorelei then started as she browsed through the keyring, “how is she doing with her training, Sayaka? I hope you’re not being too hard on her.”

“Oh! Nagisa’s been doing spectacularly, Ai-chan.” Sayaka said proudly, rather fond of her trumpet-wielding student, “Her magic is really quite powerful, and she’s learning much faster than I thought she would.” The Exemplar then gave a self-deprecating laugh and said, “I have a feeling I’ll run out of things to teach her before long.”

“Nagisa is quite a bright child, no?” Lorelei smiled as she found the right key, “Do you think she will be ready to join us on our missions?”

“I think she’s ready.” Sayaka said with confidence, “Her heart’s in the right place and she definitely has the skill. She just needs a chance to prove herself.”

Lorelei unlocked the workshop door with a heavy click and pushed it open for her guests.

“This is my humble little workshop.” Lorelei introduced as she meticulously lit the kerosene lamps in the room, “Every building of Salvae had a room similar to this one, reserved for craftwork like pottery, embroidery, painting - you name it!” The German girl, then lit the lamp over a wooden workbench with metal clamps, “The _Tiergarten_ workshop, however, was where I experimented on the things I read about on _Popular Mechanics_. I always enjoyed finding out what made things tick!”

Lorelei then opened one of the drawers near the workbench and then took out the large crystalline shard she had taken from Mitakihara months ago and held it up for Madoka and Sayaka to see.

“I’ve been running batteries of tests on the shard these past few months, and I can confirm the suspicions we had about it.” Lorelei said with a serious tone, “This shard was part of a barrier-generating device meant to mask something’s existence and to separate it from its immediate environment - in other words, it was an Isolation Field.”

“Isolation Field… huh?” Sayaka rubbed her chin with curiosity as she eyed the shard in Lorelei’s hands, “That must be why Audrey and Ligaya said they suddenly lost track of Nagisa in Mitakihara back then.”

“That is correct.” Lorelei confirmed with a sad sigh, “The Field blocked our senses - both natural and magical - and made it seem as if Nagisa had disappeared. That is the primary purpose of the device.” The German then turned to her guests and added, “It was made with extremely advanced, puzzling technology… but there were many imperfections in the device, thank goodness. If we can get close enough to the Field, we can start detecting the magical forces trapped within it, albeit sporadically.”

The German girl then flicked the shard with her pointer finger, sounding a glassy ding that echoed in the workshop, “The structure of the Field itself too was fairly weak as well. It’s why Frau Audrey was able to smash it without breaking a sweat.”

“Is that so?” Sayaka said, cracking her knuckles eagerly as she watched her own distorted reflection off of the clamped, crystal shard, “Then they’re pretty much glass shells that we need to get through.”

“Yes, but there’s more to it than that.” Lorelei added as she faced the shard once more, “The Field also has a number of unsettling properties on top of that. It’s hard to put it into words, so let me show it to you instead.”

The German laid her free hand over the shard and focused her magic on the shard. Sparks flew from Lorelei’s hands and electricity coursed through the crystalline shard. A draft of wind formed in the sealed workshop and the shard began to shimmer, revealing intricate patterns that looked like an unimaginably advanced circuit board. The shard shimmered as the electricity formed lines that traced out the countless circuits within it before the whole shard turned invisible.

Lorelei dissolved her energy then placed the now invisible shard firmly in the clamps of her workbench. She then reached into one of her pockets and drew out her personal treasure, the black King chess piece and tossed it lightly to the air. The King piece rose up just above Lorelei’s head before tumbling down to the ground at gravity’s call. However, before it could strike the ground, the piece disappeared into thin air and reappeared at the point where it started to fall. The strange phenomenon happened once, then twice and thrice before Lorelei caught the piece midair and pocketed it.

“Ligaya told me she saw something similar in the Field when they were saving Nagisa in Mitakihara.” Lorelei tried to explain, though she too couldn’t fully grasp the phenomenon, “It’s as if the time within the barrier is… bent, for lack of better word, into a loop. The environment, like what we saw with the chess piece, is stuck in that loop - but we ourselves are not affected.”

“Do you think it’s because we have magic?” Madoka guessed.

“That seems to be the case.” Lorelei said, dispelling the magic she ran through the shard. The invisible shard returned to its translucent form, “But if my hypothesis is correct, then whoever or whatever made this Field has some handle on time manipulation. They probably can’t jump between time periods like we do, but they must have some sort of elementary capability.” The German girl then turned to her guests with a serious tone, “What’s more, the Isolation Field seems to emit an aura that attracts miasma… and by extension, Wraiths.”

“Wraiths…!?” Sayaka jolted, startled by that statement, “Then that means…”

“Don’t worry, Sayaka. The Holy Barrier we have will protect us from the miasma and the Wraiths.” Lorelei reassured the swordswoman, “I also had dear Anne-Marie bring an armed patrol of Interior magi to watch the Barrier Forest before asking you two to come over.” The German girl then wore a trusting smile, “I also asked Frau Hideyoshi to join them - just in case.”

“Is that so…? If Mi-chan’s on board then we should be fine.” Sayaka sighed with relief, “But I think we already know more than enough to see what exactly we’re dealing with.” The Exemplar then faced Lorelei and the Goddess with a resolute tone, “The Incubators are behind this mess. That’s the only logical explanation.”

“The Incubators, hmm…?” Madoka frowned, displeased by the situation, “I had a feeling that they might have a hand in this… but what do they hope to do?” The Goddess paced around the small workshop with genuine concern, “The Silver Garden and everyone who resides in it are not supposed to exist in the world anymore… surely, the Incubators don’t know about us.”

“No, but Nagisa-chan did say that there were rumors about the Law of Cycles.” Sayaka reminded grimly, “The transfer student remembers you, even now. The Incubators must have gotten ideas after hearing those rumors, and Nagisa seemed to know them well. That must be why they targeted her.”

Madoka gasped and her face grew pale,

“How did I not see this sooner? That means… Homura-chan is in danger!”

A chill permeated the Tiergarten workshop as the three girls made the same realization. The Goddess Madoka’s eyes golden eyes trembled as she spoke in a harrowing, hollow voice,

“Sayaka-chan, gather the Archangels. We’re going to Mitakihara right now.’

The blue-haired girl looked straight into the Goddess’ glowing golden eyes where tears were forming at the sides. A complex expression grew on Sayaka’s face, just like the one she wore when she eyed the grandfather clock in the _Tiergartenhaus_ salon.

“By your grace, Madoka.” Sayaka said.

Once she said this, a majestic set of white wings sprouted out from behind Sayaka’s back and the Exemplar stood up. She gave Madoka a deep, respectful bow then left the workshop with a determined gait. From behind the workshop door, Lorelei could already hear Sayaka barking out orders to the girls of the Interior who were milling through the cellar earlier. The German girl then turned to the Goddess, placed her hand over her heart and asked,

“ _Mein Göttin_ , what about Nagisa?”

* * *

**Second Interlude**

_Mitakihara City, Winter 2088_

“Akemi-san!” Mami Tomoe desperately cried out at the top of her lungs, “Akemi-san! Where are you!?”

The gunner then shielded her eyes as cold, howling winds blew against her that frigid December evening in Mitakihara City. The gale blew in one direction in one moment before blowing in another in the next, hurling violent flurries of snow at the gunner in nearly every angle and drowning out her voice.

“Ooooy, Homura!” Kyouko Sakura roared, her tone fluttering between anger and concern, “Damn it, where the hell did you go!? What the hell’s going on!?”

The spear-fighter’s red figure was a mere blur in the midst of the howling winds and the falling snow. Even though she and the gunner were practically side by side, the two could only barely tell where the other was. Neither of them could see past a meter ahead of them and the winds were threatening to blow them off of their feet. The wet snow piling up beneath them too was slippery and the two girls very nearly tumbled down into the slush. Then, on top of that calamitous winter maelstrom was a peculiarly thick fog that was starting to form around the area, robbing them of whatever little vision the gunner and the spear-fighter had to begin with.

Mami and Kyouko had been searching for their growingly aloof ally earlier that evening to prepare for the usual Wraith attack they had anticipated to come. Ever since their last strange encounter at the banks of the Mitakihara River, Mami and Kyouko saw less and less of the time-traveler outside of school. Homura kept to herself and barely spoke to the two about anything other than schoolwork and Wraiths. However, the time-traveler was always on time for their Wraith hunts, arriving ahead of the others without fail. On the ninth hour of the evening on the night of an anticipated Wraith hunt, Mami and Kyouko could count on Homura to be at their meeting spot and ready to fight.

That evening, the ninth hour of the evening came and the miasma appeared as they had expected it to. Homura Akemi, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found. To make matters worse, the violent tempest of a snowstorm ravaged Mitakihara City. The gunner and the spear-fighter had been fighting practically blindly for the past two hours and there was still no end in sight.

It was at that time that the pair found a pair of footsteps in the wet snow, marking a path that led to the old Mitakihara graveyard with the grand cherry blossom tree. That was the place where Homura often went to when she was burdened by something, Mami recalled. If there was somewhere that Homura would go to at a time like this, it would be there. Thus, the pair marched forward along the treacherous path, braving winds, Wraiths and snow to find the time-traveler.

However, in the midst of all the snow and the fog, Mami and Kyouko grew lightheaded. The fatigue from the hours-long fight against the Wraiths were taking their toll and their thoughts were drawn to a strange force that lay somewhere beyond the fog. They felt inexplicably tired and in each and every blink of their eyes, they saw a marvelously enticing sight - Mitakihara City in the springtime.

And so the pair trod on through the veil of white, following those footsteps towards the central courtyard of the Mitakihara cemetery. The two pairs of footsteps managed to find their way to the foot of the grand, albeit bare cherry blossom tree before disappearing without a trace.

* * *

**Act MMXCVII - In Your Hands**

Tense air filled the gazebo of Madoka Kaname that evening in the Silver Garden as the Goddess of Mercy sat on her chair at the table. Madoka leaned forward in deep, silent contemplation in the midst of the empty chairs around her with her hands covering her face. The chandelier that hung above the table glowed with a solitary, lonesome pink light and the Goddess cast a long, looming shadow behind her.

Thousands of questions floated around in Madoka’s mind as she struggled to find answers that constantly eluded her grasp. The Goddess then turned to the starry skies above the meadow of the Silver Garden and looked up to its summertime constellations, hoping to find some sort of meaning in them. All she could find in that sea of stars, however, were ominous writings on the cosmic wall.

“I can’t be weak at a time like this.” The Goddess mused to herself, standing up from her seat resolutely, “Everyone’s counting on me, so I can’t give up here… not until I can bring about the true miracle.” Madoka then lifted her eyes up to the solitary pink flame in the chandelier and said, “No matter what it takes.”

The Goddess then took a deep breath to gather her determination and the wisps of light that floated around the silvered meadow grew as luminous as Madoka’s resolve.

From the staircase of the Goddess’ gazebo, Nagisa Momoe, Lorelei Sankt and Ligaya de la Cruz watched those luminous lights glow around them. It was a heartening sight for them given the situation they could feel brewing down in the Earth below. That was especially true for Nagisa Momoe who had experienced the Incubator’s new scheme firsthand only months ago and who understood the complexity of the weight bearing on the Goddess’ shoulders in her own special way.

When Nagisa and her two beloved onee-sans made their way up to the gazebo, the Goddess Madoka was waiting for them with a bright smile on her lips.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice, Nagisa-chan.” Madoka said with an appreciative tone, “I’m sure Lorelei-chan and Ligaya-chan have already told you why I called for you here tonight.”

The little, white-haired girl stepped forward and gave the Goddess a firm nod.

“I made a promise to you, Madoka-neechan, that’s why I’m here.” Nagisa then said with concrete determination, “I want to fly at your side. I don’t want anyone to suffer anymore.” The little girl’s orange eyes then met with Madoka’s and she said, “So please, Madoka-neechan, let me be your Archangel.”

The Goddess then wore a bright smile and said, “You’ve already known my answer to that question, Nagisa-chan. I would be happy to have you.” Madoka then came forward and knelt down on the ground so that she was face to face with the little girl, “From now on, you will always have a place at my table and your light will shine alongside mine.”

As Madoka said this, the octagonal table at the heart of the gazebo and the brass chandelier that hung above it were wrapped in soft pink light and shifted form before Lorelei’s, Ligaya’s and Nagisa’s eyes. A gentle breeze blew from that light as well as the three magi watched the transformation with looks of awe. When the light dissipated, the table formed a ninth side and a ninth, white lawn chair, slightly taller than the others, appeared behind it. Also, a ninth lantern appeared on the brass chandelier, carrying a small orange flame - the color of Nagisa’s eyes and her Soul Gem. The other lanterns too burned with their respective flames, casting lights of turquoise blue and lilac, amber and maroon, pearly white and olive green and powder blue and pink. All nine flames in the chandelier flickered and danced in their lanterns and the wisps of light around the gazebo fluttered around as well as the luminous wings of the Goddess of Mercy spread out behind her.

In the midst of all these lights, the winged Goddess placed her hands on the little child’s shoulders and spoke with an earnest voice.

“Nagisa Momoe,” Madoka called the trumpeter by her full name and spoke with immaculate, motherly warmth, “the road that lies ahead of us will be long and winding - and I will be asking more of you than I should. However, if you stay by my side, we will see things through one day - all of us. This is my promise to you, and these wings I give you bear testament to that promise.”

The Goddess took Nagisa’s hands in hers then closed her eyes as she focused her energy. The tongues of flame in the lanterns then grew in strength and burned into immaculate, ethereal whiteness. That ethereal light wrapped itself around the little Nagisa and a small, silver ring formed on the middle finger of her left hand. Then, a magnificent pair of wings sprouted from behind the little child’s back, with soft feathers of pearly white that shone with Nagisa’s hope.

Madoka then held Nagisa’s hands tighter and pulled the little girl close to her, whispering a phrase in the trumpeter’s ear. She then pulled away and smiled at Nagisa saying, “Whenever you seek to call forth these wings, focus your thoughts on these words. These are the words by which I send you - these are the words that bind my promise to you, Archangel. This is our covenant.”

Nagisa felt her new, soft wings wrap around her and the Goddess and was absolutely amazed. If she closed her eyes, she felt like she could lose herself in that gentle warmth. That was the warmth she felt when Ligaya first came to her side on that rainy Spring day in Mitakihara many months ago. It was the warmth that told her that she was coming home.

Nagisa then opened her eyes with solid resolve and faced the luminous figure of Madoka Kaname who now stood before her. Lorelei and Ligaya too wore their own sets of soft, white wings and smiled pleasantly at the little Nagisa. At that moment, true weight of her new wings became clear to Nagisa as she spread them out wide. It was now her time to bring her own warmth, her own hope, into the cold, uncaring world and it was now her duty to bring every Puella Magi home.

“I’m ready.” Nagisa said firmly, her eyes turning from Lorelei to Ligaya then to the Goddess, “Let’s save Homura-neesan.”

Madoka nodded and, with that, the four of them stepped out of the gazebo one after another. Then Nagisa watched as, the Goddess spread her radiant wings and she flew up into the cosmos with unbelievable speed. She seemed to be in a hurry to get to the frostbitten Mitakihara City and Nagisa couldn’t blame her. The little girl, however, hesitated to take to the stars. She tucked her wings sheepishly behind her back as it dawned upon her that she had never flown before. Ligaya, however, came up to her kindly and reassured her.

“You’ll be fine, Nagisa.” The Filipina said, taking the white-haired girl’s hand in hers, “Lorlei and I will be flying at your side tonight. Just think of it as learning to walk… or learning to use your magic! You’ll get the hang of it before long.”

“Ligaya’s right, you know.” Lorelei beamed as she took Nagisa’s other hand this time, “What’s important is to keep your destination in mind. Know where it is you want to go and let your wings take you there.”

“Is that how the two of you learned to fly?” Nagisa asked, her hesitation finally starting to corrode.

“Yes.” Ligaya nodded as she and Lorlei spread their wings, “That’s what Michi taught us to do after all. It’s why we’ve managed to come this far.”

“Michi-neechan, huh…” Nagisa thoughtfully hummed. She then held onto Lorelei’s and Ligaya’s hands and gave a small, albeit trusting, “Let’s go.”

The three of them then flapped their wings and took to the stars together. Lorelei and Ligaya flew with practiced ease while Nagisa clumsily learned to control her own wings midflight. When she thought about their mission that evening, however, and when she focused on the Goddess’ kind words, her wings attuned themselves to the little girl’s heart and mind. She soon managed to let go of the hands of her two onee-sans and propelled herself forward with her own strength. The German and the Filipina looked at each other and chuckled with a slight sense of pride as they flapped their wings to catch up to the tiny trumpeter.

Like shooting stars, the Goddess of Mercy and her three youngest Archangels descended down to the present-day Earth, headed for the snow-swept Mitakihara City. On their descent, Nagisa saw Sayaka Miki, Michi Hideyoshi and the other Archangels who had gone on ahead fought off a horde of Wraiths, one much larger and more ferocious than the one they fought during the springtime. The blades of Sayaka, Michi, Serafina and Elise cut down the white monsters whose towering figures jutted out from the thick snow and miasma while the heavy battery of Audrey’s cannons smashed the enemy formations with near pinpoint accuracy.

It looked like a winning battle from up above, but Lorelei and Ligaya weren’t willing to take any chances. Lorelei summoned her thunder scepter and raised it up as high as she could as she picked up speed in her descent, calming down the winds of the violent snowstorm. With the air over the city calmed, the cogs, gears and sprockets of Ligaya’s mechanical bracelet started to turn, casting flashes of olive green light midair around her, Lorelei and Nagisa. From that olive green light came a squadron of twelve FA-50PH light fighter jets, armed with 20mm rotary barrel guns and AGM-65 Maverick missiles, on high-angle ground attack vectors akin to the dive bombers of olden times. All the while, the handful of stormclouds that had obeyed Lorelei’s scepter rumbled menacingly over the multitude of Wraiths over the horizon.

Thus, the twelve jets of Ligaya de la Cruz unloaded their payloads of heavy rounds and missiles as thunder struck down onto the creatures below, incinerating them in a spectacle of fire and shrapnel and lights and sound.

“Amazing…” Nagisa was awestruck as she watched all of this take place around her as she glided down to the ground with Lorelei and Ligaya, “So this is the strength of the Archangels of the Silver Garden.” The little girl then fondly held the small black trumpet she wielded in her hands, “I have to show Madoka-neechan what I can do!”

Nagisa closed her eyes then brought the mouthpiece of the trumpet to her lips. Then, with heartfelt emotion, the little girl played a simple melody - a soulful excerpt of Dvorak’s 9th Symphony. With every note she played, soapy bubbles floated out of the trumpet and sailed towards the ranks of the Wraiths in a steady stream of colors.

Michi Hideyoshi was catching her breath with her naginata firmly in both her hands when she raised her eyes up to the little trumpeter playing her song. She was standing at the central courtyard of the Mitakihara graveyard, around where the grand, albeit bare cherry blossom tree at the heart of the fierce fighting against the Wraiths. Though cannons and thunder rumbled all around her and as blasts of flame and clashes of steel against flesh echoed all around her, that song resonated in the heart of the naginata-wielder. It was the same tune as the song that her sister Matsuri played on her Tonkori, Michi thought. What’s more, that song carried an earnest wish - a wish to bring everyone home.

The song then came to an end and the beam of bubbles burst over the remnants of the horde of Wraiths and smashed them in colorful, soaply blasts with extraordinary strength. And so, the last of the Wraiths in the city fizzled into nothingness and the miasma dissipated all around Mitakihara City.

Lorelei, Ligaya and Nagisa then glided down to the central courtyard where Michi stood while Sayaka and the other Archangels trod through the thick, accumulated snow to join them. The Goddess too floated down to where her friends stood and turned her eyes to the bare cherry blossom tree.

“I can sense their magic nearby. They’re alive, all three of them.” The Goddess said firmly as her eyes glowed in a brighter hue of gold. She saw the three sets of footsteps that disappeared just before reaching the foot of the bare cherry blossom tree, “The Isolation Field is right here in the courtyard before us!”

“If that’s the case…” Michi said as she whirled her naginata and prepared herself to strike, “Please stand back, everyone!”

With a fierce roar, the naginata-wielder dashed forward and swung her naginata’s blade at the invisible barrier at the point where the three sets of footsteps disappeared. Michi then struck the wall, but her blade was met with an unearthly resistance that pushed back against her. The naginata-wielder forcefully coursed her turquoise blue magic through her weapon, causing a gale to blow around her. Michi’s wings glowed bright turqiouse blue as well as she squeezed every ounce of strength and magic she had into that strike, but it was all for naught. The invisible barrier pushed back, returning the force of Michi’s strike against her with interest, pushing the naginata-wielder off of her feet and launching the long weapon out of her firm grip.

“That’s impossible…” Michi gasped as she picked herself up from the snowy earth, “I didn’t even scratch it!?” She ruefully dusted off the snow from her kimono and picked up her now splintered naginata from the ground.

“The Incubators… the ones who designed these Fields…” Lorelei said, gritting her teeth with frustration, “They must have known we would try to break the field with force again.” The German girl slammed the end of her scepter into the snow, “That can only mean they’ve fixed the flaws in the Field’s structural integrity… and they really do know that we exist.”

“Then what do we do now?” Elise de Lamarliere grunted as she swung her greatsword through the air bitterly, “We’re not going to leave them like this, are we!?”

“Hold on…” Lorelei then halted her friend as she held her scepter in both hands this time, “There’s something that I’d like to try.”

The German girl stepped forward towards the invisible wall of the Isolation field and charged her thunder scepter with her own magic until a ball of pearly white energy formed and crackled over the scepter’s orb. She then pointed her scepter at the invisible wall and cast the energy ball towards it.

The energy ball struck the crystal wall, sending sparks flying around it in all directions. Once again, Lorelei’s powerful magic left not even a scratch on the barrier. However, the electricity coursed through the invisible wall, tracing pearly white lines through the maze of circuits that formed the Isolation Field. Lorelei’s ball of energy soon fizzled away, but the German girl had found what she wanted to see.

“The Field’s external shell is unimaginably strong.” Lorelei explained as she watched the fleeting patterns on the now translucent wall, “However, the deeper in you go, the maze becomes much less rigid.” The German girl then rubbed her chin, “It might be possible to break this barrier from within.”

“From within?” Sayaka asked, placing a hand on her hip as she struggled to grasp Lorelei’s explanation, “And how do you suppose we can get inside?”

“You have to be called inside.” Madoka then said cryptically, her eyes fixated on the invisible wall of the Isolation Field, “Right now, Homura-chan’s calling to me.” Pain then spilled into the Goddess’ tone as she added, “She’s crying out for help.”

“... huh?” Sayaka then gasped. She snapped towards the invisible wall as well, eyes wide with disbelief and emotion bleeding into her voice, “I can hear Kyouko…”

“And I can hear Mami-neesan’s voice.” Nagisa then chimed, holding onto her trumpet tightly as she faced the source of the faint sound that reached her ears, “Also… if I close my eyes and think really hard… I can see Mitakihara City in the springtime.”

Michi, Elise and the other Archangels turned to each other, wondering what was going on. None of the six of them could hear anything coming from the Isolation Field. When they closed their eyes, they only saw darkness.

‘Could that be why the barrier stopped me?’ Michi wondered as she looked at her splintered naginata with concern.

As all of this was going on, the trumpeter stepped towards the invisible wall of the barrier as well. Nagisa held her breath as she then bravely reached out with her right hand and touched the  crystal barrier. The Isolation didn’t refuse her. As a matter of fact, her hand slipped right through the threshold without even an ounce of resistance.

“Wait a sec, Nagi-chan!” Sayaka halted her as she rushed to the trumpeter’s side, “Don’t cross the threshold yet!”

Nagisa quickly pulled out her hand while Sayaka reached out to the barrier as well. Just like Nagisa, her hand went straight through and she was able to pull out without a hitch. At this point, all eyes were on Madoka who approached the Isolation Field with a compassionate expression.

“Homura-chan…” The Goddess said as her hand also slipped through the barrier, “We’re coming to save you… so please, hold on just a little bit longer, okay?” After a thoughtful moment, she then withdrew her hand and turned to her eight Archangels with a somber frown. She then placed her hands together and gave them a deep, apologetic bow, “It seems that only Nagisa-chan, Sayaka-chan and I will be able to continue on from here.”

“I would have liked all of us to come and save them, but it seems that it cannot be so.” Madoka said as she straightened up. She then walked on over to Michi Hideyoshi and took the naginata-wielder’s free hand in hers, “I’m afraid that a long campaign awaits us in this Field, Michi-chan… so please return to the Silver Garden for now and watch over us from there. You understand what that means, don’t you, Michi-chan?”

“Goddess, I…” Michi started shakily, unable to believe her ears as Madoka’s eyes looked straight into hers, “How can I possibly take your place?”

“You are my third-in-command, Michi-chan.” The Goddess reminded, managing a small, reassuring smile for the naginata-wielder, “I believe in you, so please believe in yourself.” She then glanced at the other magi behind Michi and added, “The others believe in you too, you know… wholeheartedly so. That’s why, I know that I can leave the Silver Garden in your hands.”

Michi’s brown eyes strayed away from Madoka’s as she dispelled her splintered naginata and turned towards the bare frame of the grand cherry blossom tree in the courtyard, still overwhelmed by the thought of her new task. It was at this time that the Goddess brought a tender hand to Michi’s face, urging her to look her way once more.

“Michi-chan,” Madoka said in a voice as gentle as the gentle summertime Hokkaido breeze, “do you remember the words of my covenant with you?”

“Of course I do.” Michi said with fleeting resolve, “I remember it… every word of it... but that’s why I’m afraid, Goddess.” Desperation painted the naginata-wielder’s voice now as she continued, “What if something happens to you? What if I fail you? What if I...”

The Goddess then gave Michi a small smile, revealing the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes, “I’m afraid too, Michi-chan… about the Silver Garden, about Homura-chan… and everything. I’m sure that everyone else is too.” She then leaned forward and gently kissed Michi on the forehead, “But that is all the more reason for us to be strong. If we do not stand up to face our destiny, then who will?”

A moment of tense, contemplative silence would pass before Michi lowered her head. The weight of her task was clear to her at that point - so clear that tears started to run down along her cheeks. In between tearful sobs, the naginata-wielder finally managed to say,

“On my honor, my Goddess… I… I accept this responsibility.”

The Goddess Madoka, moved by Michi’s words, wiped the naginata-wielder’s tears with her gloved hands then brought her into a tender embrace.

“Michi-chan…,” she whispered with a swell of emotion, “thank you.”

As they stayed in that embrace, Michi’s tears continued to flow and Madoka gave her solemn instructions to the new caretaker of the Silver Garden.

“Continue to lead magi home to the Silver Garden for me, Michi-chan.” Madoka said as she cradled her still fearful caretaker in her arms, “There are still girls who are on the brink of despair. Save them. Many more still feel betrayed by their prayers. Answer them. Give them a reason to hope once more.”

“Yes, Goddess…” Michi said as she buried her face in the soft fabric of Madoka’s astral dress and in the long strands of her pink hair, “By your grace, I will go.”

“Then, once I return…,” Madoka then said as she placed a hand on Michi’s head, “I will bring you to see Homura-chan as well when we carry her to the Silver Garden, just as I promised you.”

The Goddess then produced the pink sketchpad that she always carried around and then passed it into Michi’s hands.

“When that time comes,” Madoka added with a brighter smile this time, “please tell me about the adventures you had with everyone while I was away.”

Michi took the notebook and held it close to her chest and wiped the rest of her tears with the cloth of her kimono. She then took a deep breath and finally faced the Goddess with words of firm resolve.

“We will have a wonderful story to tell you when you return, so please come back quickly.” The caretaker of the Silver Garden then managed a small smile of her own again, “We’ll be waiting for you eagerly.”

* * *

**Epilogue**

_That cold, late winter evening, surrounded by the flurry of falling snow, the nine of us parted ways. Audrey and Serafina, Lorelei and Ligaya and Elise and I watched as Nagisa-chan, Sayaka-senpai and the Goddess Madoka crossed through the threshold into the unknown. They stepped into the void together with their hands linked and disappeared behind the so-called Isolation Field without a trace._

_The six of us who remained stayed there at the frostbitten courtyard of the Mitakihara graveyard, watching the bare branches of the grand cherry blossom tree sway back and forth to the tune of wind trapped in an endless loop. We must have stayed there for at least half an hour. With dark, grey clouds covering the heavens, it was hard to tell exactly how long we stood out there in the cold. Suffice it to say, we stood guard over that tree for a long time before the others turned to me._

_I, the left hand of the Goddess Madoka, was the caretaker of the Silver Garden now. Elise and the others turned to me, wondering what they should do. In all honesty, I was just as lost as they were. The only anchors I had that held me to shore were the parting words of the Goddess Madoka and the warm words that bound our covenant to each other. Without them, I feared that there and then, I would have drifted out to the cold, dark sea._

_And so, I spread out my wings and flew with everyone back to the Silver Garden. From there, we would continue to serve the Goddess Madoka’s will and fulfill the Law of Cycles until the Goddess returns._

_And so began our long days of waiting._

**To Be Continued**

 


	4. Fallen Too Soon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michi Hideyoshi comes to terms with her new duties as Caretaker of the Silver Garden and dutifully waits for the Goddess Madoka to return. Burdened by her duties, she turns to her old enemy turned dearest friend Elise.

**Prologue**

At the break of dawn, the pristine silence in the meadow of the Silver Garden was broken by intermittent thuds of unusually heavy footsteps that parted away the blades of silvered grass, followed by a muffled thump of wood against earth. A long, tired yawn then sailed from the far edge of the meadow near the wooden arches of the Holy Barrier Forest where the tall, short-haired Serafina Larivenko proceeded to stretch beside a large wooden crate laid out on the grass. The Ukrainian rapier-fighter never saw herself as much of a morning person, so being able to march out of her bed at her hour, let alone out of her own personal, comfortable realm of heaven, was an accomplishment she took a little bit of pride from. Serafina then sat down on the crate and looked out to the sky as she watched the entrancing silver sheen of the night give way to the budding colors of the day.

From where she sat, Serafina saw the countless wisps of light that hung around the meadow’s gazebo slowly retreat down to the grass as their lights fizzled away. The vast sea of stars and summertime constellations that had adorned the heavens were slowly swallowed by the cordial meeting of a benevolent purple and a gentle blue.

“Time really flies, huh? It’s been more than a month already since then.” Serafina mused to herself in between a relaxed sigh as she felt a gentle breeze blow through her hair, “At least things have started to settle down somehow.”

As she said this, Serafina heard numerous footsteps from the side coming her way. She turned towards the sounds and saw a group of six magi of the Interior led by the chief of the Interior herself, Anne-Marie Doucette.

“ _Dobry ranok_ , Anne-Marie _tovarysh_.” Serafina greeted mellowly like a yawning cat who wasn’t quite sure if she wanted to stir from her sleep just yet, “Are you all going out for a stroll this beautiful morning?”

“ _Sacre bleu_ , Serafina! You’re the new Archangel of the Interior and you don’t even know our schedules? We’re in the middle of rearmament, you know! Our new recruits aren’t going to arm themselves!” The stern Anne-Marie placed her hands on her hips and lectured the Ukrainian, “What happened to _la meilleure_ Maultier of Salvae who never missed her deliveries to _la Ville de Quebec_ back in the day?”

“I’m kidding, i’m kidding, tovarysh!” Serafina laughed heartily and stood up from the crate to face Anne-Marie, “Of course I remember the schedules, you crazy Quebecer! Nearly eight thousand new recruits, and a ton of new equipment!” The Ukrainian then tapped the crate at her feet with her boot and said, “Why else would I be out by the Barrier Forest this early in the morning lugging around a heavy box of firearms?”

“ _Sacre bleu_ …” Anne-Marie sighed lightheartedly, before flashing a friendly smile at her new superior, “You haven’t changed at all since then, _mon ami_ Serafina.”

“And neither have you, Anne-Marie _tovarysh_. I’m glad.” Serafina smiled back, patting the French Canadian magi’s shoulder encouragingly, “Times have changed so much since the 1940’s, so it’s good to see something familiar every once in a while.” She then bent down to open the crate at her feet and brought out one of the M16A1 rifles for Anne-Marie to see, “I mean, look at these things! They’re practically as light as paper and look like toys, but one of these things can mow down a platoon faster than a whole rifle squad could!”

“The modern age is an strange yet exciting time.” Anne-Marie noted as she took one of the assault rifles as well, “The year 2088 brought all of these changes - who knows what wonders 2089 will bring?”

“I’d like to know the answer to that as well, _tovarysh!_ It’s a shame we can’t see into the future.” Serafina looked up to the now periwinkle sky and sighed. She then turned back to Anne-Marie and her troupe and grinned at them, “For now, let me show you guys how to use these new beauties of yours!”

With that, the Ukrainian proceeded to show Anne-Marie and her small troupe of volunteers how to use the newly made carbine rifles point by point under the soft dawn sky. She pointed out the differences of the old M1917 rifles they used with the M16A1’s and taught them how to maintain their new weapons. When she had taught them all they needed to know, Serafina handed off the crate of rifles’s to Anne-Marie and her troupe.

“Won’t you come patrol the Barrier Forest with us today, Serafina?” Anne-Marie offered as she slung her M16A1 rifle over her shoulder, “You’ve been building these new-age rifles for us without rest, even before the Goddess Madoka descended to Mitakihara.” She then tilted her head kindly and smiled, “It’ll be a nice change of pace - like watching the Northern Lights from _la Ville de Quebec_.”

“You know I’d love to go with you Anne-Marie _tovarysh_ , more than anything, but you know how things are. After what happened in Mitakihara, Michi doesn’t want to leave anything to chance.” Serafina wore a small, regretful smile as she politely refused. She then picked up the last gun in the crate, an aged, wood-framed long rifle distinct from the new M16A1 rifles and slung it over her shoulder, “I still have one more delivery to do before I head back to the workshop. I’ve still got quite a few goodies left to make for the Interior in this tranche after all - being the Archangel of the Interior is no joke!” The Ukrainian faced the gazebo at the heart of the meadow but then turned her head to Anne-Marie, “But definitely, when the Goddess comes back, let’s watch the stars again like we used to.”

“Of course.” Anne-Marie nodded, sending off her dear friend with a smile, “I’ll be looking forward to it, _mon ami_.”

And so, as Anne-Marie led her newly-armed troupe through the wooden arch to the Barrier Forest, Serafina made her way through the meadow towards the gazebo. Serafina’s eyes were set on a large cumulonimbus cloud forming in the now periwinkle sky, hoping for the Goddess to return soon. It was a wish that she and everyone there in the Silver Garden shared, especially among the Archangels who remained in paradise. In particular, Serafina knew that the person who wanted to see the Goddess return the most was none other than the new Caretaker of the Silver Garden, Michi Hideyoshi. It was only natural, Serafina thought. Michi was the one burdened with the heaviest responsibility in the Garden - to take the place of the Goddess Madoka.

When Serafina approached the wooden gazebo, she spotted the lone figure of Michi who stood at the balustrades in complete silence. Michi was resting her hands on the wooden balustrades of the gazebo and looked up to the periwinkle sky as it crept ever so slowly into a lighter shade of blue. In Michi’s deep brown eyes, Serafina saw many things: anxiety, fear and longing. More than anything, though, the naginata-wielder’s eyes were filled with a sense of confusion. It was summertime in the Silver Garden, but the constellations of mid-winter were hanging up in the sky. The constellations quickly faded away into the blue, searching for elusive answers to questions that she couldn’t even fully grasp.

Before long, Michi noticed Serafina headed towards the gazebo. The Caretaker let go of the balustrades and put on a small smile as she waved to her friend. Serafina waved back and raised up the wood-framed Arisaka rifle for Michi to see. The Ukrainian then dashed excitedly up the gazebo’s staircase and joined Michi at the East-facing side.

“ _Ohayou gozaimasu,_ Serafina-san.” Michi greeted her friend with a gracious bow and her small smile.

“ _Dobry ranok,_ Michi _tovarysh_. The rearmament has been going well. We’ll have a full mechanized division soon - with all the bells and whistles.” Serafina took a closer look at the Caretaker’s face then tilted her head with a look of concern, “Say… you’ve been spending a whole lot of time here in the gazebo.” The Ukrainian then grinned and added a lighthearted,” We can’t have the Garden’s Caretaker having rings in her eyes, you know!”

“Hah, you’re right about that, Serafina-san! And good morning to you too.” Michi chuckled, her smile growing ever so slightly wider before waning into a thoughtful lull, “I do want to get some rest, but there’s still too much for us to do.” The naginata-wielder then joined her hands together behind her back and said, “Sometimes I wonder how the Goddess can take all of these responsibilities on her shoulders and still manage to smile as brightly as she does.”

“The Goddess Madoka really is amazing person, what with how big her heart is and all.” Serafina agreed with Michi wholeheartedly, “Where she gets that strength to do what she does, I’ll never know... But I do know one thing.” The Ukrainian them spoke warmly as she handed Michi the long Arisaka rifle, “She chose you to lead us.”

The naginata-wielder took the rifle, pulled on the bolt empathically as she aimed the gun outside at the sun rising in the east. With the sweeping orange sunrise in her sights, Michi said, “I’m a relic, though - in every sense of the word.”

“But you still aim true, _tovarysh_.” Serafina added as she too watched the sunrise, “I think that’s what matters.”

Michi then squeezed the trigger and a dry, metallic click resounded in the gazebo.The Arisaka Type 97 long rifle that had served Michi for more than a quarter of a century felt and sounded new again. A satisfied smile formed on Michi’s lips as she set the gun down on the table. She then faced Serafina and gave her a thankful bow.

“Don’t mention it, Michi _tovarysh_!” Serafina winked confidently, proud of her own handiwork. She then laid a hand on Michi’s shoulder, “And while we’re on the subject, it’s New Year’s eve today! Why don’t you take it easy for a bit today? We’ve already organized the ranks and the missions have all been successful so far. Everything’s ahead of schedule - even the new guns for the Interior!”

“But I can’t be lax, even for a moment…” Michi lowered her gun as she tried to stand her ground, but her flimsy resolve spilled into her voice, “Who knows when the Goddess Madoka will return?”

“That’s all the more reason for you to take a break, _tovarysh!_ ” Serafina grinned, emphatically patting Michi’s shoulder twice, “When the Goddess comes back, do you want her to see that mug on your face and that frown on your lips? That’d make the Goddess sad, no?”

“That may be so…” Michi argued one last time, but she couldn’t get herself to finish her sentence. The Caretaker sighed, turned her head to the side and sheepishly mumbled, “What could I possibly do?”

“You’re the Caretaker of the Silver Garden - the vicar of the Goddess Madoka herself. You can go anywhere you want and do anything you want, can’t you?” Serafina laughed lightheartedly before mellowing down into a knowing smile, “Though I feel that you already know where you want to go, Michi.” She then extended her hand to Michi and said, “Leave the rest to us for today, Michi _tovarysh_. A little rest can do wonders for the soul!”

“I guess you’re right, Serafina-san.” Michi finally managed to smile. She returned the Type 97 rifle to the Ukrainian’s hands and spoke in a fond tone, “I’m sure she would appreciate it too.” She then gave Serafina a deep, respectful bow, “I’ll be off then. _Yoroshiku onegaishimasu_.”

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**Fallen Too Soon**

* * *

**Act MMXCVIII - A Mirror In Oil**

_December 31, 1936_

The cool, pleasant breeze of the late December _Amihan_ winds blew through the short stretch of the _Calle Escolta_ in the Binondo district of pre-war Manila, rustling the vibrantly green canopies of young Acacia trees that lined the _Escolta’s_ sidewalks. At the foot of one of those Acacia trees, a white portafinestra door appeared in a flash of magical light with its doors wide open. Michi Hideyoshi emerged from the white threshold with her hands behind her back holding onto a small, turquoise blue pouch as she looked upon the ever so familiar street with nostalgic eyes. In that street, she was greeted by the corridor of brick-and-mortar buildings of banks, post offices, small department stores adorned with facades of American Art Deco alongside more traditional houses made of stone and wood with sliding screen windows and wrought iron grills. All around the Japanese girl, she saw throngs of families going to and fro as they browsed through the stores and their post-Christmas sales and as popular Christmas songs of the time played on the residents’ radio sets and it brought a smile to Michi’s lips.

As much as Michi wanted to stay at the _Escolta_ and immerse herself in its lively cheer, there was someone she wanted to see at the end of the road. She sighed as she brought the turquoise blue pouch to her side and started to walk down the Acacia-lined street. At the intersection of the _Calle Escolta_ and _Calle Tomas Pinpin_ , Michi stopped and took a deep breath as she came face-to-face with the _Edificio Gumamela_. The mother of pearl windows on the upper floors had been opened and the shades were propped up to shield the occupants from the intense sunlight, meanwhile allowing the cool December breeze in. The clean adobe arches on the streetside holding up the upper floors led into a generous shaded alcove where a heavyset pair of doors stood guard. Every stone on the wall of that four-story building roused memories in Michi’s mind and mellowed her heart, so she couldn’t help but glance and appreciate the building that brought her and her friends together. When she had had her fill, she carried on to the heavy double doors of the Edificio Gumamela to knock. After a moment or so, the heavy doors finally opened for her and the authoritative, albeit charming presence of Elise de Lamarliere appeared before Michi.

The former Carissima of Salvae, as usual, had her wavy red hair in a French braid without a lock out of place and there was not a wrinkle on the lilac-sashed, traditional Filipino _terno_ she wore. However, there were traces of haggardness on her otherwise refined figure. The beginnings of rings were forming beneath her eyes and there was a small yet noticeable wrinkle on her brow. When she saw Michi at her doorstep, however, her tired eyes seemed to regain their life twofold and a faint yet earnest smile formed on her lips.

“ _Bonjour,_ Michi.” Elise greeted in a charming tone, her wavy red hair bobbing gracefully as she gave Michi a curtsy. Her smile then grew sly and she teased probingly, “It’s not often that I see you outside of the Gazebo lately. To what do I owe the honor, _moi gardien du Jardin_?”

“ _Ohayou_ , Elise.” Michi returned the curtsy with a respectful nod, before giving a lighthearted chuckle as she explained herself, “Let’s just say that Serafina chased me out of the Gazebo this morning and had me take it easy for today. Though, I don’t mind it at all.” The naginata-wielder then tucked a lock of her straight black hair behind her ear and smiled at the French knight, “I wanted to come and see you after all.”

“Is that so?” Elise’s smile grew ever so slightly wider when she heard this, “Then come on inside then, Michi, you’re just in time for lunch.” She then rested a hand on her hip and added, “Knowing you, you probably skipped breakfast yet again.”

Michi chuckled at herself and gave off a defeated sigh as she conceded, “You know me too well, Elise.”

Elise smirked proudly then gestured her guest to come on inside. She then led Michi through the halls of the _Gumamela_ side by side as they chatted with comfortable, trusted ease. Throughout the seven weeks of Michi’s tenure as the Caretaker of the Silver Garden, Michi often came over to the _Edificio Gumamela_ to pay Elise de Lamarliere a visit. In their talks, Michi laid bare her thoughts about anything and everything to the French knight who listened to her carefully before offering her honest and unfiltered opinions. It was only natural after all since Elise, the fourth-in-command of the Goddess, inherited the role of Chief Archangel.

In that light, Michi and Elise were the ones who had to shoulder the heaviest burdens in the Silver Garden, taking the place of the Goddess Madoka and Sayaka Miki respectively. Throughout those seven fateful weeks, all eyes were on them and they grew to rely on each other with each passing day. Though the two of them had more than their fair share of bad blood in the past, the two of them understood each other better than anyone else in the Garden. In those seven weeks, their old wounds started to heal.

As the two of them walked and talked leisurely through the halls, the numerous oil paintings that hung from the walls drew Michi’s fond attention. Many of them were European landscapes painted in sets of four - one for each season - and drew heavy inspiration from Rembrandt works. There was a story behind every painting, Elise told Michi with her own brand of subtle pride. All of those paintings bore Elise’s refined cursive signatures after all, and Michi quite eagerly asked to hear the story of each one.

That early afternoon, when Michi and Elise sat for lunch at the dining hall of the Edificio Gumamela, Elise humored her guest’s curiosity and picked a muse for the day. She soon settled on a large rectangular painting that hung by the door of the dining hall. It was a painting that showed a scene of a girl standing by the banks of the river and looking into the river. There, the girl in the painting could see her own blurred reflection in the vivid blue.

‘ _La Fille et la Mirrior,_ ’ Elise introduced as she served _pan de sal_ bread rolls and butter onto Michi’s plate then onto hers, “It’s the first painting in a new series I’m starting - another quartet set, hopefully.” The French girl then flourished both of their plates with generous helpings of fiddlehead fern and tomato salad and tenderloin beef _salpicado_ , “The story starts with _la Fille_ , let’s call her… say, Francine, and she looks at her own reflection in the river - or rather she tries to. The river is restless, after all, so _la petite_ Francine cannot quite accurately tell who she can see in the blue.”

Elise then joined Michi again at the table and added, “In essence, Francine is searching for herself, but the world - represented by the river - constantly distorts that image and tries to dictate who she is.”

“Self discovery.” Michi mused, watching fine details of the painting with a close, appreciative eye. She then turned to her host and smiled, “I’m looking forward to the next one, Elise. I can’t wait to see what happens to Francine next!”

“In due time, Michi - self discovery is a journey, after all!” Elise cleverly teased. She then set her hands on the table and said, “For now, let’s eat before the food gets cold!”

The two girls said their respective graces and started to dig into their meals, with the hungry Michi eating her first meal of the day with particular gusto. Once they finished with their meals, the two of them cleared the table and Elise brought out a bottle of 1916 Bordeaux wine and had Michi carry a pair of wine glasses. Together, they then climbed up to the fourth floor of the _Edificio Gumamela_ and into the elegant, marble-tiled room of Elise de Lamarliere. There, they sat face to face on elegantly carved narra benches and poured each other wine. Looking over the pair was a large painting that didn’t come from Elise’s hand - a masterful reproduction of Delacroix’s _Liberty Leading the People_ dated February 1945.

As Elise poured Michi’s glass, she noticed her guest’s curious eyes fixed on the painting.

“That painting brings back memories, doesn’t it?” Elise posed a rhetorical question as she passed the bottle over to Michi, “All of those painful, fateful years we walked searching for hope, only to find despair that we brought upon ourselves. You remember it too, don’t you, Michi?”

“How could I forget?” Michi said as she took the bottle from her host, “Our fates were sealed in this very room - Audrey’s, Ligaya’s, Serafina’s, Lorelei’s, yours and mine.” Still wrapped up in her thoughts, she poured Elise’s glass and said, “Every day, I wonder how things would have been if all six of us had met in different times… different circumstances.”

“I think of the same things as you _mon ami._ ” Elise was sympathetic as her glass filled with wine, “We probably wouldn’t have had to have our blades at each other’s throats… or we wouldn’t have had to carry blades at all - or spill any of the blood we spilled, for that matter. I wouldn’t have been the cold-blooded shadow Carissima who lead the subversive Incognitas.” Her ash-grey eyes then rose up and met with Michi’s as she added, “And you wouldn’t have had to sacrifice yourself to become _die Dreadnaughthexe Walpurgisnacht_.”

“Mm…” Michi said with listless agreement as she set down the wine glass and sat before Elise once more. She looked into her own reflection in the crimson mirror of her wineglass and the twisted memories of her time as the chaotic Dreadnaught Witch surfaced.

The French girl, however, picked up her wineglass and caught the attention of her dazed guest, “But this is the reality that brought all six of us together. It’s what made us who we are - and it’s why we’re here now in the Silver Garden. That’s the reason why I keep that picture here.” She then smiled at Michi and said, “I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

“Elise…” A tender voice escaped from Michi’s lips, followed by a mellow smile and an appreciative nod.

“So let us put the past aside, Michi. I am no longer the shadow Carissima, and you are no longer _Walpurgisnacht_. I am Elise de Lamarliere, the Exemplar pro tempore, and you are Michi Hideyoshi, the Caretaker of the Silver Garden.” Elise raised her wineglass to Michi for a toast, “Here’s to the future.”

Michi also raised up her glass and said, “To the future.”

Their glasses clinked and the two girls happily drank their Bordeaux. The two of them then continued their chat over the afternoon wine. As Elise finished her drink, though, she noticed the turquoise blue pouch that Michi had been lugging around since she got to the Gumamela. Michi noticed Elise’s searching eyes and smiled as she put the pouch on the table for Elise to see.

“It’s a gift that I brought here for you, Elise.” Michi said as she opened the pouch, revealing an intricate, porcelain sake jug with a matching sake cup, “This is _Oshimahana amazake_ , a specialty drink from my hometown often shared during celebrations - especially the summertime _hanabi_ festivals.”

She then gently lifted _Oshimahana_ jug and bowed as she offered it to Elise, “Please accept this humble gift of mine as thanks for the 1916 Bordeaux and everything you’ve done for me so far, late as it may be.”

“It’s always summertime in the Silver Garden, Michi, so it’s not late in the slightest.” Elise reminded as she stood up and graciously took the jug and the mug, “Nonetheless, _merci beaucoup._ I gladly accept your gift. If this amazake is for celebrations, then perhaps we can share this with the others for the New Year, no?”

“That would be a great idea!” Michi agreed wholeheartedly as she straightened herself up, “We’ve been so wrapped up in work that we haven’t been able to plan anything for the New Year. We ought to invite everyone to the meadow and prepare food and gifts… and fireworks!” Michi’s brown eyes seemed to glow as she hatched up idea after idea, “That would surely raise everyone’s spirits here in the Garden, no?”

“Of course!” The French girl nodded enthusiastically, “And if the Caretaker of the Silver Garden goes about this with a smile as bright as that, then the Garden would smile with you.”

“That would be a wonderful story to tell the Goddess when she returns.” Michi’s smile mellowed as she felt the outline of Madoka Kaname’s sketchpad in the folds of her kimono, “Let’s do it - Elise. We will have have a New Year’s party at the meadow tonight, and I will pour the amazake for everyone.”

“If that is your will, _moi gardien du Jardin_ , we shall begin the preparations right away.” Elise said as she fondly brought the jug and the cup to her heart, “We shall greet the year 2089 with smiles.”

* * *

**First Interlude**

It was late afternoon by the time Michi and Elise finished drafting their plans for the evening and the Caretaker of the Silver Garden had to leave the _Edificio Gumamela_ to return to her post in the Gazebo. The sun had already begun to set over Manila Bay to the West as Elise walked with her guest up to the _portafinestra_ door at the foot of an acacia tree along the stretch of the _Calle Escolta_ . There, they bid each other farewell - a respectful bow from Michi and a graceful curtsy from Elise. Michi then opened the _portafinestra_ door and stepped into a vast plane of soft, cloudlike whiteness in stark contrast to the brick-and-mortar and concrete facades of pre-war Manila from where she had come from. She closed the windowed door behind her and waved to Elise on the other side of the glass who returned the gesture.

‘I’ll be fine.’ Elise seemed to say with her wave, urging Michi to carry on to the Gazebo. The Caretaker of the Silver Garden soon conceded to her Chief Archangel’s assurance and then walked leisurely on through the hall of cloudy white.

The hall was called the Cloister of Clouds, Michi thought as she ran a hand through the cloudy wall and traced a long ribbon in the white as she walked on by. It was a peaceful hall of white clouds where the floors, walls and ceilings were soft to the touch and absorbed the sounds of her footsteps. Scattered around the cloudy hall were scores of _portafinestra_ doors similar to the one that led to Elise de Lamarliere’s _Edificio Gumamela_ . The _portafinestras_ to Lorelei’s _Tiergartenhaus_ and Serafina’s _Romashka budivlya_ stood roughly beside Elise’s door while the doors to Audrey’s _Mariveles House_ , Ligaya’s _Bahay Taysan_ and Michi’s _Oshima-ya_ were only a few paces away. She stole glances of the scenes behind their windows in passing, wondering what her friends were all up to, before carrying on through the cloister in her steady, thoughtful pace.

In that quiet, cloudy hall of _portafinestra_ doors, Michi found herself alone with her thoughts as she strolled through. From where she walked, she could see multitudes of _portafinestra_ doors scattered around the hall. There were eight million _portafinestras_ in the Cloister of Clouds and counting and these doors housed the realms of the eight million Puella Magi saved thus far by the Goddess Madoka’s Law of Cycles. As an Archangel, she was glad that she and her friends were able to help the Goddess save so many souls from despair. As the Caretaker of the Silver Garden, however, she couldn’t help but wonder what lay at the end of the road for all of those hopes and dreams that lay before her.

After all, she, more than anyone else left in the Garden, understood that this heaven of theirs was a fleeting dream. In that dream, every dreamer including herself, was waiting - dreaming - for the true miracle that the Goddess Madoka sought to bring. Just what could this ‘true miracle’ be? What sort of future would greet them once they all came to? Where was the Goddess Madoka taking them?

Unable to answer her questions, she lowered her head and hurried her pace, leaving the ribbon she had drawn in the clouds behind. Moments later, the crisp sound broke the silence of the Cloister of Clouds and reached Michi’s ears. It was the sound of a distinct trumpet that rang true and clear and played a heartfelt tune that Michi heard roughly seven weeks ago in Mitakihara.

“That song… it’s Dvorak’s 9th.” Michi gasped as she jolted up to face the source of the sound, “And it’s coming from the Meadow! Then that must mean…!”

Like a wound spring, Michi burst into stride through the cloudy hall with hope rising in her heart. Green grass started to appear in the cloudy white ground beneath her, growing thicker and more verdant as she reached the threshold to the Goddess’ Meadow and the deep orange light of the setting sun filled her surroundings. Fragrant summertime flowers soon sprung up at the edges of the white corridors as the blades of grass were warmed to the colors of the sunset. A cool gust then swept through the coppered expanse of fields and flowers and the cloudy ceiling of the Cloister was replaced by the rich orange of the late afternoon sky over the Meadow. Gold-tinted leaves and petals blew by Michi in the wind and brushed by the Caretaker’s straight, long black hair. Then, she soon arrived at the foot of the stairs to the Gazebo of the Silver Garden.

Against the brilliant colors of the sunset, the gazebo was a like a mere silhouette against the orange and a shelter from the lively winds. Beads of sweat were forming on the naginata-wielder’s brow and she fought to catch her breath but the rousing song of the trumpet that rang clear in spite of the breeze came from that silhouette and urged the tired Michi onwards. She raised her eyes up to the gazebo and found two familiar figures looking out from the Gazebo’s balustrades - the cheerful Sayaka whose fortissimo hairpin shimmered in the sunset and the bright white-haired Nagisa who lowered her trumpet to wave to Michi.

“Hey-yo, Mi-chan!” Sayaka greeted as Michi finally climbed up the stairs, “It’s been a while.”

“Sayaka-senpai! Nagisa-chan!” Michi cried out in between her panting as thankful tears formed in her eyes, “Hah… hah… I-it’s been.... too long!”

“Michi-neechan!” Nagisa cheered this time as she dissolved her trumpet in an orange flash of magic and charged straight towards Michi like a freight train. The little girl leapt up and caught Michi in an affectionate flying embrace that nearly knocked the naginata-wielder off of her feet. Holding Michi tight, the little girl was ecstatic as she repeated her greeting, “We’re home, Michi-neechan!”

“Welcome home, you two.” Michi returned the embrace fondly then spun around with Nagisa in her arms, much to the little girl’s delight. As she danced with the child, Michi happily said, “You’ve all returned… you’ve finally done it!”

“Indeed we have.” Sayaka spoke proudly as she placed a hand on her hip, “My, you should have been there, Michi! The transfer student was as stubborn as a rock, but Madoka got through to her in the end, thank goodness. Madoka’s already gone on ahead and Nagi-chan and I are gonna follow soon.” She then turned to Michi with a knowing smile, “Now, it’s time for us to bring Homura Akemi to the Silver Garden.”

Michi then lowered Nagisa back down to the ground and then turned to Sayaka with an air of firm, albeit winded determination.

“These are the orders that Madoka asked me and Nagisa-chan to tell you.” Sayaka then said with a rare flourish of formality, “‘Gather everyone here at the Gazebo and then come and follow us’, she said.” The swordswoman then added with a small smile, “After that, things can go back to the way they were.”

“Of course, Sayaka-senpai.” Michi said, dutifully placing her hand over her heart before Sayaka. As she did so, she then felt the outline of Madoka’s sketchpad in the folds of her kimono. She pulled it out and added, “There is something I would like you to give to the Goddess for me though, senpai.” The naginata-wielder placed the pink sketchpad into Sayaka’s hands and then said, “Tell her that this is the story I promised to tell her.”

“Gotcha, Mi-chan! I’ll make sure she gets it.” Sayaka smiled as she cradled the sketchpad in one hand and patted Michi’s shoulder with the other, “You and your friends have done well, so I’m sure Madoka will be proud.” She then grinned innocently and said, “See you all on the other side!”

With that, Sayaka and Nagisa excused themselves and bade Michi farewell as they started to make their way to the arch of the Barrier Forest. Michi gave the two of them a deep, thankful bow then also got going herself. With wings in her feet and a spring in her step, she walked briskly through the grassy meadows back towards the threshold to the Cloister of Clouds. Tremendous joy and excitement filled her heart as she looked forward to tell her friends the good news. The Goddess was finally returning, and Homura Akemi was coming to the Silver Garden!

As Michi crossed into the cloudy hall, she imagined how happy her friends would be. All of them had been waiting for that moment, after all - for nearly eight weeks, to be exact. For the Goddess to return on New Year’s eve was another auspicious blessing. She and Elise would be able to share the _Oshimahana Amazake_ with everyone at the Gazebo when all of it was over, and they would truly be able to greet 2089 with bright smiles.

‘Gather everyone here in the Gazebo and then come and follow us.’

That was going to be Michi’s last mission as the Caretaker of the Silver Garden, and she was going to perform it with meticulous care. As she walked through the cloudy hall, she reached into the folds of her kimono, drew out a colorless cube and filled it with a sliver of her turquoise blue magic. She then tossed it up to the Cloister’s cloudy ceiling and floated there like a shining beacon of turquoise blue for all to see. _Portafinestra_ doors from all around the Cloister opened as their tenants poked their heads out to look at Michi’s beacon.

“The Goddess Madoka is returning!” Michi declared in a resolute voice that echoed all throughout the vast expanse of the Cloister, “Our long weeks of waiting are finally coming to an end!”

Cheers then started to erupt in the once quiet hall as the eight million magi of the Silver Garden rejoiced at the news. Seeing and hearing this euphoria brew around her brought a smile to Michi’s lips. In the midst of that cheering, however, the ominous sounds of cracking reached Michi’s ears. The fanfare in the Cloister died down in sparse intervals as the cracking grew more and more prominent all around them. It seemed to be coming from every direction.

Slowly but surely, the cracking started to sound like glass shattering under pressure from an incredible, ungodly weight. With each chilling crack, the sound of a full concert orchestra crept into the supposedly silent Cloister, growing louder by the second. What’s more, the music of the orchestra was a familiar one - the Largo movement of Dvorak’s 9th Symphony.

This wasn’t normal, Michi thought. Beads of cold sweat dripped down her cheek as her hair cast a shadow over her eyes. The music swelled all around her with raw, unbridled emotion and as Michi listened, she felt her head spin and grow light. Everything around Michi then started to fade away as she plunged into a depthless darkness that sucked her into nothingness to the tune of the phantom band.

Slowly, softly, Michi fell into a strange abyss where unfathomably long red ribbons hung from unseen ceilings. A devious creature - a salamander of obsidian black with a tail that shone pale purple lurked around in the darkness and gnawed at the ribbons viciously until they snapped one after another. With every string that snapped, great pangs of pain assaulted Michi that threatened to rip her very being apart. However, she could not move and she could not scream. She was absolutely powerless as the black salamander cut string after string until there was one left.

Michi, with what little strength she had mustered, managed to stir and reach for the salamander, but it was too late. The last red ribbon snapped and Michi’s consciousness left her, leaving her to sink into the depthless darkness.

Until the sharp, rousing sound of a train horn awakened her.

.

...

…

“ _Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Mitakihara City. The train is now approaching… Mitakihara Central Station in the 8th District of Mitakihara City. Our estimated time of arrival is, 8:00AM sharp. Please ensure to gather all of your belongings and to leave no baggage behind onboard the train. Thank you very much for your patronage, and we hope that you would choose to ride with us on your next journey again._ ”

…

…

.

**Prologue**

_March 21, 2088 - Sunday_

The announcement chimed through the speakers of the PA system of a twelve-car E8 Series Shinkansen train that zipped down the southbound rail of Mitakihara City. In the third car of the train, Michi Hideyoshi slowly stirred and found herself seated in a posh, windowside seat in a spacious, purple-carpeted private room. She opened her eyes and saw that for some reason, she had that third-car private room all to herself. Could she have been in the wrong room, perhaps? The fourteen-year old girl quickly glanced to her side and saw her large, turquoise blue trolley bag stowed by the private room’s door. The bag bore her nametag where her name, address and cellphone number were filled in with her little sister Matsuri’s barely-legible penmanship, along with a paper copy of her trip itinerary.

She was definitely in the right room, Michi reassured herself. And so, she she stretched pleasantly with a light yawn and let herself sink into the gentle embrace of her spacious seat. Some way, somehow, Michi felt completely refreshed she savored the comfort of her chair in the purple-carpeted private room. It was as if she had just awoken from the best sleep that she’s had for years.

With a satisfied smile on her face, she then turned to the window pane to her left where she saw the majestic skyline of Mitakihara City under the backdrop of the orange sky in the rising sun. It was an awe-inspiring sight for a Hokkaido native like herself to see so many clusters of tall buildings so close together, reflecting the scene of the sunrise like rows of giant mirrors. Like Michi, the metropolis too was awakening as cars and busses started to fill Mitakihara’s many avenues and as the city trains plied through the ribbon of tracks. What’s more, the cherry blossom trees all around the city were in full bloom, casting a soft tint of pink that delighted Michi’s eye.

The Shinkansen train she rode then ran into a tunnel and replaced the colorful scene with a hollow, howling darkness. In that brief absence of color beyond the window, wisps of a long, vivid dream she had before she awoke floated around in the back of Michi’s mind. Those wisps brought many things to mind - the fresh smell of green grass, the sensation of strong, blowing wind caressing her face and her hair and… snow? That fragmented dream was painted in the colors of the summer, but it all seemed awfully cold. Then, she remembered hearing the voices of girls scattered about her, talking in a myriad of languages that she couldn’t hope to comprehend. Her recollection grew stranger and stranger as the howl of the train zipping through the tunnel roused her imagination and she remembered a great struggle, with blades and gunfire and unearthly flame… and a wicked smile that seemed to relish in mischief.

All of the sudden, her her head started to ache. She leaned forward and rested her head in her hands and the pain gradually subsided. However, so did the fragments of the dream. Those wisps of memories slipped like sand through her fingers and her headache came to pass.

Michi groaned as she shook her head then leaned back into her comfortable seat with her eyes closed as she tried to regain her composure. This was her first day out of Hokkaido, she reminded herself, so she had to make the most of it. She didn’t have time to be bogged down by a little headache like that. Browsing for something to do, she reached over to her trolley and pulled out the paper itinerary to read. As she diligently read through the paper again, the train slowed down to a gentle halt at the platform of the main platform of the Mitakihara Central Train Station.

Michi rose up from her seat, collected her trolley then made her way out of the train as she continued to read through her itinerary. Stepping out of the platform, though, she noticed that she was the only passenger who disembarked from the whole twelve-car train. The windows of the train were tinted, so she couldn’t really make out how many passengers were still on the train - or if there were any passengers at all.

It was at this time that a gust of wind blew through the open-air train station and plucked the itinerary out of the distracted Michi’s hand. The sheet sailed gracefully through the station and Michi gave chase, pulling her trolley behind her as fast as she could all the way to the turnstiles. However, the sheet landed on the white-tiled floor of the station at the feet of a young girl with bright purple eyes and long, straight black hair adorned with a thick, red cloth ribbon.

The girl bent down to pick up the sheet and her long hair cascaded down after her, revealing an intricate purple earring that she wore on her left ear. When she straightened up,  handed the paper over to Michi and spoke with a kind smile on her lips, “I believe this is yours.”

Michi’s eyes met with this girl’s and she soon found herself at a loss for words, quickly and completely captivated by the girl at the other end of the turnstiles. As Michi crossed through the turnstile and approached the girl, she felt a certain inexplicable gravity towards her - as if she were a moth drawn so helplessly to a flame. She returned the girl’s smile and then gave her a deep, thankful bow as she finally replied, “Yes, that is mine - thank you.”

The smile on lips the girl with the ribbon in her hair seemed to grow ever so slightly and she handed the itinerary back to Michi. She then returned the Hokkaido native’s bow with one of her own and said,

“I was actually sent here by the Mitakihara Junior High School to meet you when you arrived.” The girl then straightened up and ran a hand through her hair, “My name is Homura Akemi. Welcome to Mitakihara, Hideyoshi-san.”

“Akemi-san…” Michi repeated her name thoughtfully. The name sounded familiar to her and seemed to ring a distant bell in the depths of her mind, but wasn’t this the first time that the two of them met?

“‘Homura’ is fine.” Homura then reassured, waving away Michi’s confusion with a chuckle, “We will be seeing each other a lot more often from now on, so let’s do away with formalities.”

“Homura-san, then.” Michi corrected herself with a hint of relief in her tone, “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.” She then faced her host confidently and said, “If you don’t mind, you can also call me ‘Michi’.”

“‘Michi’ it is.” Homura smiled warmly at the newcomer warmly and asked, “By the by, have you had breakfast yet, Michi?”  She then tucked a lock of her hair behind her left ear, making the purple gem of her earring sway like a small pendulum, “You’ve come all the way from Hokkaido on the midnight train so you must be hungry.”

As Homura said all of this, Michi’s stomach grumbled and the newcomer grew embarrassed. Michi’s host, however, just chuckled lightly and took the grumble as a ‘yes’.

“Allow me to treat you to something then,” Homura insisted with sympathetic flourish, “There’s a really good breakfast place at the mall nearby - and it’s not far from your dormitory, the _Hanasou_.”

“Is that so?” Michi considered her offer, but it didn’t take her long to decide. She faced her host eagerly and gave her a thankful nod, “I’ll be in your care then, Homura-san.”

With that, Michi and Homura walked together out of the train station and Homura talked in length about Mitakihara City for the newcomer’s sake. Michi, on the other hand, listened attentively and felt herself warm up to her gracious host. All the while, the purple gem of Homura’s earing swayed in tune with their steps and the sly smile on her lips grew once more and the trusting Michi was none the wiser.

While the two girls made their way out of the station gates, however, a mousy, bespectacled teacher with a head of short, light brown hair entered the station and proceeded over to the turnstiles. She wore a lanyard ID card that read ‘Kazuko Saotome’ and she stood guard at the outer side of the turnstiles for a good few minutes or so. Bobbing her head around like a child, she eyed the Shinkansen train stopped at the platform, waiting for Michi - the girl she was supposed to pick up - to disembark. The train, however, shut its doors and rattled on towards Kasamino, startling the teacher.

“Oh no…” Kazuko whimpered like a lost puppy, “Where could she have gone?”

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**From The New World**

* * *

**First Act - Nice To Meet You!**

Towards the north end of the Eighth Mitakihara District, on a small rolling hill alongside the long, flagstone path to the Mitakihara Junior High School stood the pristine structure of the _Hanasou_ Girl’s Dormitory. It was a three story building with a harmonious facade of modern steel and glass and accents of brick and mortar fenced by the low concrete walls of a tiered flower garden and a small forest of cherry blossom trees in full bloom. A simple stone arch bridge connected the _Hanasou_ grounds to the flagstone path and crossed over a pleasant stream that ran parallel to the path.

The _Hanasou_ was a new building that opened earlier in March and, for all intents and purposes, was seen as an extension of the Mitakihara Junior High School. That bright, cloudless Sunday morning, the first batch of residents of the _Hanasou_ \- seventy or so soon-to-be students of Mitakihara Junior High - crossed the bridge together to the _Hanasou_ grounds and looked up to their new home with awe. More fascinating than the design of the building, however, was the fact that all of those students were setting foot in Mitakihara City for the first time and that roughly fifty of them were foreigners. Among those foreign new residents was a young Filipina girl - Ligaya de la Cruz - who wore her curly, shoulder-length hair with a white floral headband and wrapped herself in a light, olive green jacket.

“ _Ka lamig_ …” Ligaya muttered to herself in her native language as she shivered, “I didn’t think it’d be cold in March.” Her eyes settled on the harmonious face of the _Hanasou_ , however, and she managed to shore up her excitement as she added, “But I’m very lucky to be here.”

The Filipina carried a khaki knapsack and pulled a large, olive green trolley bag behind her, both of which still had their tags and stickers from _Philippine Airlines_ . She followed the rest of her fellow dorm-mates up the gentle slope of the paved path through the tiered garden and to the doors of the _Hanasou_ where the mousy teacher, Kazuko Saotome, was trying to gather the seventy new students.

On her way up the slope, Ligaya found herself walking alongside a petite German girl with bright blue eyes whose locks of curly golden hair spilled out of the cloth hat she wore. ‘Lorelei Sankt’, read the ID lanyard that she wore. ‘Whoa… she looks like a doll, sorta!’ Ligaya said with awe. That was the first time she saw someone with golden hair, blue eyes and fair white skin up close. It made her feel a little bit conscious of her brown ‘ _kayumanggi_ ’ skintone somewhat so she averted her eyes from the German girl’s gaze.

It was at that time, though, that Ligaya noticed that Lorelei’s knapsack had its zipper open and the edge of a magazine was peeking out of the hole. The German girl then tripped in an unceremonious jolt, but she managed to regain her balance and composure. The contents of her open knapsack, however, spilled out onto the grass of the tiered garden.

“Ah…!” Ligaya quickly rushed over to Lorelei’s side and helped the German girl gather her things. Most of the thing that fell out were magazines, Ligaya found - specifically, the January, February and March 2088 editions of _Popular Mechanics Deutschland_. She picked up the three magazines and handed them to the startled Lorelei and then tried to practice her Japanese, “You… read… Popular Mechanics?”

It all came out though with a thick, Filipino accent that made it hard - even for her - to understand what she just said. Ligaya quickly grew flustered at her own gaffe and felt herself shrink in the presence of the golden-haired German. Lorelei, however, graciously took the magazines and beamed at Ligaya.

“Yes, I love _Popular Mechanics_!” Lorelei replied with poised, confident Japanese. The bright smile she wore on her lips dispelled Ligaya’s fear and her near-immaculate Japanese with only barely a trace of a light German accent was an awe inspiring sound for the Filipina. The German girl then tilted her head with a friendly flourish and asked, “Do you like it too?”

In a rush to reply, Ligaya started a sentence in Japanese that she just couldn’t finish. She knew what she wanted to say and it was as clear as a bell to her in her mind, but it was in her native _Tagalog_. Ligaya still had to process those words into English and only then would she be able to say it in Japanese. She was left in an awkward bind - trying to limp on forward with hesitant hand gestures that would have made a deaf person laugh. Thus, after a few seconds of struggle, she settled on a simple nod and an apology in Japanese,

“Sorry… my Japanese… not good.”

“Ah, I see.” Lorelei spoke with an empathetic tone. She then renewed her smile for Ligaya and offered, “We can speak in English if you want.”

“Y-yes please!” Ligaya spoke in straight English now, albeit accented English. This time around, though, she could understand what she was saying and speak with much, much more confidence, “I love _Popular Mechanics_ too! My dad and I have a subscription to _Popular Mechanics Pilipinas_ back home!”

“Is that so? _Sehr gut!_ We’ll get along well then!” Lorelei sounded rather glad. She put the magazines back into her bag, made sure to zip it shut this time then extended her hand to Ligaya, “My name is Lorelei Sankt and I’m from Berlin, _Deutschland_ \- it’s a pleasure to meet you!”

“Nice to meet you, Lorelei. My name’s Ligaya de la Cruz!” Ligaya firmly shook Lorelei’s hand, happy to have someone she can speak to in straight English, “I’m from Taysan, Batangas in the Philippines!”

In their little exchange, Ligaya found it rather easy to talk with this Lorelei girl. After the first gaffe and the change in language, words came naturally to the Filipina and she grew comfortable with her new acquaintance. The German girl’s friendliness and her casual demeanor helped, of course, but Ligaya felt a sense of camaraderie with her - as if the two of them had met before. That’d be absurd, however, Ligaya thought. She had never ventured out of the Philippines her whole life after all, let alone traveled to Germany.

Before Ligaya could follow her train of thought, however, Kazuko Saotome called their attention in a voice that couldn’t quite decide if it was lecturing sternly or asking nicely, “Derakuruzu-san, Sankuto-san, I’ve been looking for you two! I’ve already given out the room assignments to the others and talked about the _Hanasou_ house rules too…”

“We’re sorry about that, _sensei_.” Lorelei spoke on behalf of them both, “Ligaya and I got caught up in something, you see - we didn’t mean to cause you trouble!”

The German gave a polite bow of apology and, after a moment of hesitation, Ligaya did the same. To the two girls’ relief, however, Kazuko’s sternness retreated like the ebb of the sea.

“It’s alright, you two.” Kazuko said as she fished out a pair of dormitory keys, “I had the two of you assigned to the same room, after all - Room 108, right beside the elevator.” The teacher then smiled, “And, the two of you are also classmates in Class 1-2, so it’s good that the two of you are getting along already!”

Lorelei and Ligaya looked at each other with eyes shining in delight, unable to believe what they just heard. ‘This must be fate!’ the two of them thought as the teacher handed them their keys. The two of them promptly thanked the teacher and then made their way into the _Hanasou_ proper with their bags in tow.

The _Hanasou_ was rather well equipped, the girls would find, with a large common living room with floating formless screen televisions, a spacious kitchen with a state of the art stoves and ovens, a joint private bath for the residents, weekly cleaning services, 24/7 security and free internet - the works! By amenities alone, the _Hanasou_ could pass for a small hotel. In that brief tour of theirs, Lorelei and Ligaya promptly made mental notes of the things they wanted to do around the _Hanasou_ , but a good, long hot bath was on the top of both of their lists.

The two of them soon cleared the common area then found the door to Room 108, tried their new keys out and entered for the very first time. It was a pleasant thirty square meter studio unit with polished wooden floors supplemented with cozy area rugs, neutral-colored stucco walls and a pair of curtained windows that looked out to the cherry blossom trees that lined the flagstone path to the Mitakihara Junior High School. In one corner of the room, there was a pair of mahogany desks and chairs that sat beside the shared sliding-door closet and a smaller floating formless television screen like the one in the living room. At the other corner, there were two single beds furnished with an olive green blanket for Ligaya and a pearly white blanket for Lorelei.

This was going to be their new home for the next three years or so, the two girls thought, and they liked the place already. This new chapter in their lives was getting off to a good start.

“I hope that we can make new memories here in Mitakihara.” Ligaya mused as she looked around the room.

“So do I, Ligaya.” Lorelei agreed with a happy smile, “So do I.”

The two girls had a quick lunch in the _Hanasou_ kitchen - welcome bento boxes sent by the Mitakihara Junior High School - then spent the first half of the afternoon unpacking their things together. Once they were finished, the two girls decided to go around town and explore. It was their last weekend before school starts, after all - they both wanted to make the most out of it.

* * *

  **Second Act - I Have A Knack For It, I Guess**

Lorelei and Ligaya ventured out of the _Hanasou_ grounds together at half past three and, guided by a tourist map Lorelei downloaded into her smartphone, wandered around the Eighth Mitakihara District and talked spiritedly the whole way through. The two of them would talk about their hometowns, their favorite foods and festivals and, by some strange tangent of conversation, their favorite passenger locomotives - and their grievances about public transport in general.

In the midst of their lively talk, they boarded a Mitakihara Municipal Bus that took them to the most recommended place on Lorelei’s electronic tourist map - the Mirai 812 Mall at the south end of the Eighth District. When Lorelei and Ligaya stepped out of the bus as the mall’s stop, they were greeted by an ultra-modern, twelve-story mall styled after the great malls of Singapore. Each floor brought countless stores, restaurants and diversions from all over the world, just as the tourist map highlighted. The selection of mall’s delicatessen alone was unbelievably plentiful, stocked with specialty food and drinks from Ligaya’s and Lorelei’s hometowns and made the girls wonder what other pieces of home they might find in the rest of the mall.

As the two were browsing around the third floor of the mall to look for a place to eat their dinner, though, they came across a small, younger girl with a head of white hair and bright orange eyes. The little girl was holding her hands close to her heart in fear and seemed to be on the verge of tears. Seeing this frightened girl made Ligaya’s heart skip a beat and she was immediately drawn to the child’s side. Her feet were guided by some unknown force within her that told her that this child needed her help. Without a second thought, Ligaya yielded and obliged.

“Umm… little girl, what’s wrong?” Ligaya asked in Japanese with a tender tone, kneeling down at the girl’s side to bring her face to the level of the child’s, “Are you lost?”

The girl raised her tearful eyes to meet Ligaya’s and a complex expression grew on the little girl’s face. Ligaya tilted her head innocently, unable to read through the expression, so the little girl lowered her head and gave Ligaya a sheepish nod.

“I was with a group from my school, _oneesan_.” The girl explained between sobs as her tears started to trickle down her cheeks now, “I went off on my own to look at some cheesecakes for a second, but now I can’t find my friends!” She then buried her tearful face on Ligaya’s shoulder and said, “I don’t know where they are anymore… or what happened to them…”

“There, there…” Ligaya said naturally, embracing the little girl and patting her head, “Don’t you worry, okay? We’ll help you find your friends.” She then turned over to her German companion and added, “We can help her out, can’t we, Lorelei?”

“Y-yes of course!” Lorelei had a rare stammer as it took her a little time for the whole situation to sink in. She too knelt before the little girl and asked, “You were here with people from your school, you said… does that mean that you have a teacher who was accompanying you?”

The little girl paused for a moment, as if she was still mulling over the question, but she soon gave another simple nod.

“Alright then, leave it to us, okay?” Lorelei said and patted the little girl’s head too. The German girl then started going around the mall, talking to mall security guards and shop owners as she looked for the little girl’s group. Meanwhile, Ligaya brought the little girl over to a bench and sat together with her to calm her down.

“Say, what’s your name?” Ligaya asked once the little girl had managed to wipe off her tears and gathered herself.

“Nagisa Momoe… I’m eleven years old.” The little girl said with a cautious tone as she turned towards Ligaya with puppy eyes, as if she were asking for a reply.

“My name’s Ligaya de la Cruz, and that girl with me earlier was Lorelei Sankt.” Ligaya introduced with a smile, “We’ll find your friends for sure, so sit tight, Nagisa!”

A small frown formed on the little girl’s lips, but she gave Ligaya a weak, albeit appreciative nod. The Filipina girl blinked with confusion. Was Nagisa hoping for a different answer from her? Ligaya wanted to ask that to the little girl, but her limited grasp of Japanese kept her from finding the words to say.

Moments later, Lorelei returned to the third floor along with an elementary school teacher and a group of elementary school children. A wave of relief swept through the teacher’s face once she saw that the little, white-haired girl was safe and sound.

“Momoe-san, I’m sorry!” The stocky elementary school teacher apologized wholehearted, “I didn’t mean to leave you behind!”

“Sensei…!” The little girl looked up to her teacher with a bright expression, “I thought I lost all of you!”

Nagisa’s words contrasted her searching silence just moments ago, Ligaya thought, as she watched the little girl reunite with her class. The teacher’s emotional apology continued while Nagisa assured that she was alright now. Then, the teacher gave a deep, thankful bow to Lorelei and Ligaya and apologized to them as well for taking up so much of their time.

“We’re just glad we could help!” Lorelei said with a relieved smile, “That’s what Arch… uhm… Arch…” The German girl’s brow then furrowed, “What was the word for that again…?”

Lorelei’s fumbled attempt also started to rouse something in Ligaya’s memory. The Filipina girl’s jaw dropped as she too seemed to have a gist of what Lorelei was trying to say, but she also couldn’t quite finish the sentence. Ligaya’s Japanese vocabulary was limited, of course, but she couldn’t even find the words in English or in Filipino. It was almost as if that word was erased from their memories.

Nagisa’s eyes grew wide as both the German and the Filipina struggled to piece their words together somehow. Grave concern swept over the little girl’s heart and she mused beneath her breath, “ _Lorelei-neesan… Ligaya-neesan… don’t tell me, the two of you still…_ ”

The little girl then turned to her teacher who now looked at Lorelei and Ligaya with an indifferent expression. Nagisa, from where she stood, saw wisps of her teacher’s displeasure brewing behind a mask. The teacher then managed a smile and approached Lorelei and Ligaya and said,

“It’s alright, I understand what the two of you are trying to say.” The teacher’s sugarcoated words yanked the German and the Filipina from their aimless recollection, “Thank you again for helping me find Momoe-san. I really appreciate it, _noi!_ ”

Lorelei and Ligaya smiled innocently at the teacher’s remark and they both gave her a gracious bow. When the turned to bid Nagisa farewell, however, they saw that the little girl didn’t seem to want to leave just yet. There was something that she wanted to say, but she was holding her tongue and was shying away from the foreigners’ gazes. Thus, Ligaya broke the ice, squatted before the little girl and happily patted her head.

“You be a good girl now, Nagisa.” Ligaya said with a motherly tone, “Take care of yourself and don’t stray too far from the path.”

Hearing this from Ligaya, Nagisa was at awe as the Filipina’s hand gently stroked her head of white hair. The little girl finally stopped fidgeting and wore a small smile this time around as she responded with a solemn, “Mm.”

With that, Nagisa joined her classmates and was shepherded off by their stocky teacher as Lorelei and Ligaya waved goodbye. The two girls then found themselves alone once more.

“Ah… wasn’t that tiring?” Ligaya groaned as she sat on the mall bench once more, “We spend most of the afternoon helping Nagisa out.”

“It was worth it though, wasn’t it?” Lorelei said, joining Ligaya on the bench with a happy expression, “Seeing little children smile, even just a little, is quite fulfilling. Besides, Nagisa-chan was pretty cute wasn’t she?”

“I know, right!” Ligaya doted enthusiastically, “I know what you mean, Lorelei! I wanted to pinch her cheeks, you know!” The Filipina then rested her back on the bench and thoughtfully looked up to the glass roof of the Mirai 812 mall saying, “But for a while… I felt like Nagisa was trying to tell me something. I don’t know what exactly, but she really was trying...”

As Ligaya was trying to look back into their encounter with the little girl, though, the PA system of the mall came on and chimed eight times like a bell, marking the eighth hour. The Filipina promptly hopped off of the bench as a panic swept her,

“It’s already eight o'clock and we haven’t had our dinner yet!”

“ _Schielse_! You’re right!” Lorelei gasped then frowned, “We haven’t been able to check out the other nine floors either, and all we managed to buy were bread and sausages.” She then glanced at the myriad of other stores and restaurants of the mall and then slowly grew a defeated smile, “Well, at least we’ll have plenty to do the next time we’re here!”

“That’s a good way to look at it!” Ligaya concurred happily, “Now let’s get going - we don’t want to miss the dinner service at the _Hanasou_ tonight. I heard we’re having hotpot!”

With that, the two girls made their way out of the mall to catch a bus back to the _Hanasou_ , talking excitedly about the hotpot that was waiting for them back home. Slowly but surely, in the midst of their hungry rambles, their curiosity about their encounter was swept aside by like a mere afterthought. By the time they reached the entrance to the mall, the both of them had already forgotten why they were so curious in the first place.

* * *

  **Third Act - Cheers To Us!**

It was ten minutes past eight in the evening when the doors of an express elevator at the ground floor of the Mirai 812 mall opened. A single, plucky, bespectacled woman in her mid thirties - Kazuko Saotome - entered the elevator, wearing one of her best, albeit modest purple dresses, meticulously polished flat-heeled shoes and a simple set of a white-gold necklace with a matching watch and matching earrings. All of which, together, shaved almost a decade off of her age. The haggard air that the woman gave off that evening, however, wiped out those gains and made her seem dangerously closer to forty than she would like to admit.

“Oh no… I’m in for it now…” Kazuko mused with worry as she pressed the button, calling for the twelfth floor, “Nearly nothing went right today… jeez.”

She leaned back against the wall of the elevator and looked out the window as she was pulled up to the twelfth floor. Watching the illuminated skyline of Mitakihara City in the midst of the starless sky grow smaller and smaller below her, she recounted the strange and tiring details of her day and sighed.

“I need a drink.” Kazuko muttered, followed by an unrefined groan, “If it wasn’t a Monday tomorrow, I’d get soooo wasted…” She then caught a sliver of her reflection in the mirror and frowned, “But I’m getting too old for that.”

Moments later, the elevator doors opened and Kazuko stepped into her destination - a cool, dimly lit jazz bar at the top of the Mirai 812 called the ‘Eden Loft Bar’. Pictures of famous jazz artists from around the world with framed copies of autographed vinyl records, instruments and all sorts of memorabilia hung from the walls alongside contemporary reproductions of famous pieces of art. A fedora hat supposedly worn by Thelonius Monk sat atop the head of a dark-colored mannequin dressed in the sharp suit of the late jazz man that stood beside a framed print of the scene where Saint Peter was entrusted with the keys to heaven. Kazuko always found herself amused by the bar owner’s peculiar tastes in decor as she passed them by. There was a subtle blend of harmony and contrast in those pieces that, tied together with the soft jazz music playing through the bar’s speakers, breathed a unique air of life into the space. That was why the Eden Loft Bar was her favorite weekend retreat - as well as her dear friend Junko’s.

When she stepped into the bar proper, she saw her friend, Junko Kaname, seated at the bar counter and nursing a glass of Cutty Sark whiskey on the rocks. Junko was wearing a sharp-looking blazer over a light pink blouse with a matching skirt that, all together, could very well pass for business attire. Though Junko was roughly the same age as Kazuko, the way she dressed and her lively demeanor made it easy to mistake her for a yuppie in her late twenties. As Kazuko approached the bar counter, Junko turned around on the barstool and greeted her friend with a youthful grin,

“Welcome home, Kazuko!” Junko said with conviction as she set down her glass of Cutty Sark and embraced her friend tightly, “I’ve missed you!”

“Jeez… the _Eden Loft Bar_ isn’t my home, you know.” Kazuko chuckled as she hugged Junko as well, “I should be the one welcoming you back to Japan, Junko. You’ve finally come back after three years in the US!” A warm smile then grew on Kazuko’s lips, “And I’ve missed you too… so, welcome home.”

With that, Junko brought Kazuko over to the counter and had the bartender make the teacher’s favorite drink - a dry blue vodka martini with a wedge of lemon - as well as another Cutty Sark on the rocks for herself. As the bartender got started on the drinks, the two ladies caught up on the three years they were separated.

Once their drinks arrived and Kazuko was finally up to speed, they shared a toast and the teacher finally started to vent.

“It’s been really tough at Mitakihara Junior High lately, Junko…” Kazuko whimpered as she sipped her blue martini, “I don’t know what went on in last January’s Board of Directors meeting, but they suddenly decided to roll out their great big International Student Program.”

“I heard from the emails you sent me…” Junko sighed sympathetically, taking a large sip of her whiskey, “Though, then again, you will be getting quite a pay hike for this job and a pretty nice title too! ‘Program Coordinator Kazuko Saotome’ sounds pretty snazzy, doesn’t it?”

“But that means I’m going to be in charge of seventy-two transfer students from all around the world!” Kazuko argued with great frustration, “Not to mention, i’ve got direct reports now, and the principal’s going to be watching my every move from hereon out!” The teacher sipped her martini again then continued her seemingly endless litany, “Handling three classes on top of all of that too is going to be tough… How do you handle these sorts of things, Junko?”

“Ah, well…” Junko said as she gave her friend’s situation some thought, “The first thing I keep in mind in situations like those are that I’m not alone. I have people who report to me, and I have people who I report to - and all of us have the same goals!” She then rested her elbow on the counter and held her cheek in her hand, “What’s important is how you send that message across, really. Once you all start working together - bam! It’s like the stars aligned and you’re kicking ass left and right!”

“Is that so…?” Kazuko lowered her head as she considered her friend’s advice, “Then what about this…? Earlier this morning, I was supposed to pick up one of my new students from the program - a Michi Hideyoshi-san coming from Oshima in Hokkaido. I went there on time and all, but I missed my student! Apparently, the class president of my homeroom class - Homura Akemi-san - picked her up on my behalf!”

“That doesn’t sound like a bad thing, Kazuko.” Junko honestly reassured, “There must have been some miscommunication down the line, but that shows you have people you can rely on.” The businesswoman then grinned, “You’re lucky that you have someone as proactive as that Akemi-san helping you out in this task, you know! You’ll be hard pressed to find motivated people for projects like those, so count your blessings!”

“I see…” Kazuko spoke in a mellower tone this time as she swirled the contents of her martini glass, “You always seem to know what to say, Junko… thanks.” She then turned to her friend and asked, “What about you? Do you have problems at work too?”

“I’d be lying if I said that Elysian Fashion is perfect…” Junko groaned as she eyed her glass of whiskey, “We’ve been losing market share all over the world - it’s why people are getting cross-posted left and right. Our good talents are getting pirated off by our rivals and the ones that get left behind are just waiting for their next paycheck.” She then downed her glass and gave her honest assessment, “2088 will be the make-or-break year for Elysian Fashion, and our Mitakihara HQ will be on the frontlines.”

“Sounds tough.” Kazuko gave her sympathy this time around as she finished her martini. The two ladies then ordered another round of their drinks from the bartender. Meanwhile, a soulful jazz cover of Earth, Wind & Fire’s ‘That’s The Way of the World’ filled the bar through the speakers alongside the din of chatter and clinking glasses.

“I’m not too worried, though!” Junko quickly recovered her smile as the bartender came by with their next round of drinks, “After all, I’ve got people I can entrust my life to working with me on this case! I moved mountains over at Elysian HR just to get the two of them on board with me here in Mitakihara.”

“Ah, those two! The American and the Ukrainian.” Kazuko said with familiarity, “You’ve been singing praises about those two in your emails, Junko!”

“Those two deserve every word of it, Kazuko.” Junko said with a little bit of a tipsy slur as she started on her third glass of Cutty Sark, “Not only are they the most engaged young girls i’ve seen in the company in recent years, but the two of them get along really well with my little Madoka too!” The businesswoman took a second swig then added, “Whenever we have a bring-your-kid-to-work day, Madoka loves it when those two are around! She always goes ‘Auntie Audrey and Auntie Serafina are so nice!’ Isn’t that cute!?”

Kazuko chuckled at her friend’s developing ramble. Whether it be at work or at the bar, Junko was always thinking about her daughter.

“But seriously speaking…” Junko finally reined in her train of thought, “With Audrey and Serafina in my department here in Mitakihara, we’ll be able to turn things around - i’m sure of it. Those two came from heaven, I swear… and together, we’ll be able to find the true miracle that gets Elysian Fashion back on its feet!” She then smiled at her friend and said, “I should introduce you to them sometime, Kazuko - I think you’ll like them too.”

“I’ll look forward to that, Junko.” Kazuko said, reflecting Junko’s smile, “For now, the two of us have mountains to climb at work - it’s just like school all over again, huh?”

“I know, right?” Junko grinned merrily, “And the two of us will pull through. We always have!”

The businesswoman then raised up her glass of whiskey and gave a toast to her friend, “Here’s to us!”

“Yeah!” Kazuko said eagerly as she brought up her martini glass. The two glasses clinked and the ladies finished the rest of their drinks with gusto, looking forward to the day that lay ahead of them.

* * *

**Epilogue**

It was a quarter past nine in the evening at the west bank of the Mitakihara River when a tall, Elise de Lamarliere, with her head of wavy red hair and ash grey eyes sat down on the gentle grassy slope. The foreigner wore a white shawl that she readjusted over her shoulders as the chilly nighttime winds of Spring blew by. The girl sat there on the banks in pensive silence with her ash grey eyes fixed upon the pitch black of the sky in the midst of Mitakihara City’s bright lights.

“ _Ou sont les etoiles?_ ” Elise mused as the city lights shimmered all around her, “It’s too bright.”

Unable to see the stars, the French girl sighed and stood up from where she sat and her eyes naturally fell down to the restless waters of the Mitakihara River. It’s like a mirror, the girl thought, as she watched her own blurred reflection distorted in the dark flow. The figure in the water closely resembled her as it was supposed to, but the girl couldn’t quite say that she could see herself in the river. The starless sky and the imperfect mirror in the river bothered her to no end and she couldn’t tell why at first.

Was she homesick, perhaps? That was probably it, Elise thought. She was used to seeing the stars from the banks of the gentle Rhine river in Strasbourg, after all. A starless sky and a restless river wouldn’t make for a good painting, she told herself. Thus, the French girl dug her hands in the pockets of her light coat and briskly made her way down the paved riverside path.

On that same path, a tomboyish blue-haired girl was walking briskly down the opposite direction. The sparse moonlight illuminated her figure in faint silver and the fortissimo pin she wore in her hair shimmered for a moment like a small star. The light off of Sayaka’s pin caught the Elise’s attention as they approached each other on the path. That blue-haired girl seemed awfully familiar, but she couldn’t quite figure out why.

The two girls crossed paths and the crisp sound of paper falling onto blades of grass reached Elise’s ear. She turned towards the sound and saw a small sheet of paper that, if she were to guess, fell from the blue-haired girl’s pocket. After a moment of thought, she picked up the piece of paper then called after the girl in near-perfect Japanese and said,

“ _Sumimasen_. I think you dropped something.”

The blue-haired girl whirled around, patted her now empty pocket and gasped.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry about that!’ The girl apologized to Elise then hurried over to her, “Thanks for calling me about this - I appreciate it!”

“No problem.” Elise said as she handed over the paper, “Try to be more careful next time, though. It can be very windy in the riverbanks, after all.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” The girl said thankfully as she took the paper. She then looked at Elise in the eye and smiled as she asked, “You wouldn’t happen to be a transfer student to Mitakihara Junior High, would you?”

Elise’s brow promptly rose as she asked with a cautious tone, “I am a student there… but how did you know?”

“I’m a Mitakihara Junior High student too, you see. Our teachers have been talking to us about the International Student Program for a while now, so we know all about it!” The blue-haired girl introduced herself with a lively grin and extended her hand to Elise, “My name’s Sayaka Miki and i’m an incoming sophomore!”

“Elise de Lamarliere.” Elise conceded as she shook Sayaka’s hand, “I’m an incoming third year student.”

“Is that so?” Sayaka smiled at her new upperclassman, “I hope that you enjoy your stay here in Mitakihara then, Duramayue-senpai! There’s lots of things to do here in the city so I’m sure you won’t get bored.” The sophomore then showed Elise the paper that she had dropped and said, “If you’re interested, this was a newspaper ad I was carrying around with me for an art exposition coming to town. They hold it at the new Minato-ku Gallery too - a really nice place that opened recently!”

“An art exposition?” Elise asked with keen interest, “Do you mind if I take a look at the ad?”

Sayaka happily obliged and let Elise read the advertisement. The French girl read through it with odd intensity that would have put some people off, but Sayaka didn’t seem to mind.

“Their theme…” Elise said, almost as if she were in a trance, “Mirrors…” She then caught herself in the middle of her ramble and quickly apologized, “Sorry about that… for a moment, I.... I just…”

Sayaka’s eyes grew sharp as Elise fished for words to say. The blue-haired girl opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but Elise shook her head and sighed instead.

“I don’t know…” Elise turned away with embarrassment, “My mind is a mess right now. Perhaps I’m still jetlagged.”

Sayaka simply wore a supportive smile in response and held the words she wanted to say back. There was a sliver of disappointment in the blue-haired girl’s eyes, however. After all, the sophomore was starting to confirm that her worst fears had come true.

‘So that’s the transfer student’s game...’ Sayaka thought as she furrowed her brow, ‘What in the hell have you done, Homura?’

“Is something the matter?” Elise asked as she noticed Sayaka’s soured expression.

“Ah, nothing!” Sayaka quickly hid behind a happy-go-lucky grin, “I was just thinking that I have to get going soon.” She then fished out her smartphone and handed it over to Elise, “Before that, why don’t we exchange numbers for now? If ever you decide to go to one of those exhibitions, let me know!”

Elise nodded and the girls gave each other their cellphone numbers. The two of them then bid each other farewell then carried on down their respective paths. Sayaka was headed south to her apartment in the Fourth Mitakihara District while Elise went north towards the _Hanasou_ Girl’s Dormitory in the Eighth.

The French girl took her time and strolled thoughtfully through the city streets, still looking up to the starless sky. Ever since she arrived in Mitakihara that morning, she felt terribly uneasy about something - as if she had forgotten something important. Some way, somehow, she could sense that that Sayaka person she met might know more than she was letting on. After all, Elise knew that Sayaka dropped the newspaper ad intentionally and that she only played along.

A little while later, Elise found her way to the doors of the _Hanasou_ dormitory just minutes before ten in the evening. The teacher prefect of the _Hanasou_ , a stern middle-aged lady who wore her greying hair in a bun, gave Elise a judging glance that seemed to say, ‘ _You nearly missed curfew, young lady!_ ’

Elise simply nodded without paying the prefect much heed and carried on through the common hall to the stairwell. As she climbed the steps all the way up to the third floor quarters, she stole glances at her wisp of a reflection on the glass of the stairwell windows that she passed by. For a moment, she thought she saw her reflection turn away from her, but Elise thought that it was probably her tired mind playing tricks on her.

She needed a long, hot bath and a good night’s sleep to clear her mind, Elise told herself. Maybe then, she can start making sense of her scattered thoughts.

Elise soon reached her room - Room 308 at the middle of the third floor hall opposite the stairwell - then drew out her keys to unlock the door. When she entered, she saw a fourteen year old girl seated before the vanity dresser in the middle of combing her straight, long black hair. The girl saw Elise in the dresser’s mirror and she turned around to face the French girl. Her deep, dark brown eyes met with Elise’s ash-grey ones in a long moment of meaningful silence.

This girl seemed familiar, Elise thought - but she couldn’t be too sure. In that moment, Elise thought that she had met this girl somewhere before - but she couldn’t tell when or where. Something deep in her heart told her that the girl seated before her was not a stranger, but Elise couldn’t even begin to guess this girl’s name.

The girl, on the other hand, put on an amiable smile and asked, “Would you happen to be Elise de Lamarliere?”

Dazed, Elise could only manage a small nod.

“My name is Michi Hideyoshi, an incoming freshman from Hokkaido.” The girl set aside her comb as she stood up and introduced herself cordially, “The two of us are going to be roommates, it seems. I hope the two of us can get along!”

**To Be Continued**


	5. Allegro Molto

**Prologue**

"Welcome home, onee-chan!"

The sweet voice of Matsuri Hideyoshi reached Michi's ears, swept towards her by the gentle summertime winds of Hokkaido that brushed through the summertime grass beneath the clear blue of the summertime sky.

Michi, caressed by the breeze, turned to the source of the voice and found the silhouette of her little sister waving to her and the silhouette of their mother standing kindly at her side. The two of them had warm smiles on their faces - warmth that reached the fourteen year old girl and etched a smile of her own on her lips. The two silhouettes urged Michi to come over and she happily and obediently obliged.

However, try as she might, Michi realized that she couldn't move from where she stood. Confused, Michi looked down and saw eleven red ribbons tied to her - around her waist, on her wrists, on her ankles and around her neck like a leash. The harder she tried to move, the harder the ribbons pulled back on her and the knot around her throat tightened. Michi winced in pain and gritted her as she tried to press forward, desperate to reach her family calling out to her but it was all to no avail.

The tightness of the leash-like ribbon around Michi's neck threatened to choke her and her head started to spin. Her vision of the peaceful summertime scene fluttered before her eyes, changing jarringly from one season to the next. The bright blue skies shifted too, melting into dark sickly colors that danced an unnatural ballet in the heavens. Then, the silhouettes of Michi's mother and Matsuri dissolved into a mass of black feathers that dispersed in a frigid, winter gust.

Michi's legs wobbled at the sight and she fell down to her knees at a loss for words and the wind chilled her to the bone. Then, she noticed something strange - the red ribbons that were restraining her were all severed. Why, then, were they so inconceivably heavy? It was as if the ends of the ribbons were tied to heavy stones and the leash in the hands of a malevolent being. Sorrowful tears formed at the sides of her eyes as her vision faded into blurred colors then pitch black.

In that darkness, however, she felt the firm, reassuring hand of a phantom grasp hers before closing the lids of Michi's eyes. A pair of phantom hands that felt like black velvet then untied the ribbons on her wrists and ankles and loosened the knot of the ribbon around her neck. The hands then lifted Michi's numb body and carried her deeper into the darkness - an odd, welcoming darkness that shimmered with floating wisps of the brightest, white light. The light formed a river that illuminated the phantom's path

"Rest easy now, Hideyoshi-san. Don't let those old, ancient threads weigh down on your heart. They are burdens that you don't have to carry anymore." A distant voice whispered in the darkness, "We'll be there soon, at the other side of the river." Michi then felt the phantom hand coax her hand open as the whisper soon added, "But before that…"

A metallic ding resounded in the darkness. Then, Michi's consciousness left her.

…

_March 22, 2088 - Monday_

Michi came to a moment later and her eyes shot open. The fourteen year old Hokkaido native was in a cold sweat as she regarded a strange, unfamiliar white plaster ceiling and felt the embrace of a thin, new blue blanket. The light, steady hum of airconditioning and the gentle scent of cherry blossom fabric softener calmed Michi's nerves. This was Room 308 of the _Hanasou_ girls' dormitory in Mitakihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Michi reminded herself as she closed her eyes and rested the back of her right hand over her face to calm herself down.

She was an incoming freshman student in the prestigious Mitakihara Junior High School on a Hokkaido prefectural scholarship, Michi continued to tell herself as she rolled over to the side and curled into a ball underneath her blanket. This thirty square meter dormitory room was going to be her home for the next three years, she then thought, so that white plaster ceiling would become familiar to her before long - just as familiar as the cozy, wood-roofed 12-tatami room she shared with her sister Matsuri back in Hokkaido.

It would be a lie to say that Michi didn't miss her hometown in the Hokkaido mountain valley, but it would also be a lie to say that she regretted her decision to come to Mitakihara. Michi had always dreamed of what life was like beyond the idyllic mountains of Hokkaido - beyond the Tsugaru Strait. Coming to Mitakihara, on her own two feet no less, was a dream come true for her.

What's more, she remembered the kind, dark-haired girl - Homura Akemi - who came to greet her at the platform on the morning - the inviting smile that she wore on her lips and the captivating warmth of her purple eyes that drew Michi in the moment that they met. There was a familiarity about that Homura that Michi couldn't quite explain - but it was reassuring to her. It made her feel that, with a little work, she would fit right in in this new home of hers.

It was at this time that Michi heard the crisp rustle of book pages being turned coming from less than a meter away. Michi pulled her blanket away from her face and witness the supple figure of her roommate, Elise de Lamarliere - a sixteen year old transfer student - whose straight back and head of wavy red hair rested against a propped up pillow. There was a serious expression on the profile of Elise's face as her ash grey eyes darted from the left to the right of the page, interspaced with occasional blinks that accentuated the gentle field of subtle freckles on her cheeks.

The French girl was engrossed in a thick paperback book - a rare sight in a world of digital tablets and formless screens - that she cradled in her right hand, but her rhythmic reading and page-turning was disrupted ever so slightly when she stole a sidelong glance at Michi and spoke in perfect Japanese,

" _Ohayougozaimasu_ , Hideyoshi-san." Elise greeted as she returned her ash grey eyes to the pages of her book and flipped another crisp page, "Can't sleep?"

"Y-yeah…" Michi replied, bashful as she sat herself upright as well and rolled her blue blanket into a soft ball, "Also… _ohayougozaimasu_ , Duramayue-san."

There was another thing that Michi would have to get used to in the coming months, she thought as she hugged the blue ball thoughtfully. Michi knew that the _Hanasou_ was mostly meant for foreign transfer students with a few notable exceptions such as herself. She was excited to have a roommate who came from somewhere as far away as Strasbourg, France and was glad that her roommate could speak Japanese. The fact that this fair-skinned, red-haired, freckled roommate of hers was close to fluent in Japanese, however, was a pleasant, fortunate surprise - but a surprise nonetheless.

Elise then flashed a small smile at Michi and the freshman happily returned it. Michi knew that she'd get used to her roommate soon before long.

"You're not alone, Hideyoshi-san." Elise said as she set a bookmark - an airplane ticket in the livery of Air France - on page 88 and closed her paperback book, "It's already close to six in the morning and I haven't caught a wink of sleep." She then turned to Michi and laughed in spite of herself, "Perhaps I'm still in _l'heure francaise_ \- French time!"

"Haha, that may be the case!" Michi chuckled merrily, covering her mouth with her left hand. She then unrolled her blanket and started to dutifully fold it into a neat rectangle, "I'm the one who has no excuse then, having only come from Hokkaido and all." She folded the blanket smaller and smaller until it fit snugly underneath her soft pillow then wore a satisfied smile.

"You're homesick already, _mon ami_." Elise gave a perceptive guess as she too started to fold her blanket, "That's got to be the reason, am I right?"

Michi blinked, stunned by the accuracy of her roommate's guess before she managed to give a nod and say, "That's true, but how did you…"

A sly smile then formed on Elise's lips as she playfully said, "Let's just say that I feel that we're kindred spirits - you and I." Her tone then grew noticeably mellow as she added, "I do feel the same way as you, after all."

Michi wore a sympathetic smile then spoke without hesitation, "You know, that sounds like something you would…" until she stopped abruptly, mid-sentence.

Elise blinked and tilted her head curiously as Michi tried to gather her thoughts. Michi's lips contorted with confusion, wondering why that sentence seemed to natural to her but it was to no avail. The freshman then wore an apologetic smile and changed the topic,

"So what are you reading there, Duramayue-san?"

"Ah, this?" Elise turned her paperback's cover to her roommate for her to see, "It's a little book I bought during one of my layovers - it's called _Las Belles Artes Orientale, Edition 2088_."

"'The Fine Arts of the Orient?'" Michi dared to give an educated translation.

Pleasantly surprised, Elise smiled and happily corrected, "The Beautiful Arts of the Orient - actually, though you were very close." Her ash grey eyes then met with Michi's brown ones as she asked, "You speak French as well?"

"Just bits and pieces I picked up here and there." Michi humbly explained then pointed to the paperback, "Plus - the the _Great Wave off Kanagawa_ on the cover gave me a good hint."

"I see, I see…" Elise said as she leaned forward and handed the book to Michi. As her roommate flipped through the pages, Elise sat upright at the side of her bed and said, "I enjoy the arts very much, Hideyoshi-san. I find it amazing how artists can express their thoughts and feelings in ways that words simply cannot convey." The French girl's eye then fell upon the cover of the book and said, "The _Great Wave off Kanagawa_ , for example, shows unfathomable anxiety and restlessness of the people in the boats and on the shore over a force much greater than themselves. They're left to wonder what happens when that wave finally breaks."

"Anxiety and restlessness, huh…?" Michi hummed as she took a closer look at the print of the Kanagawa wave. Elise's explanation resonated within Michi's heart more deeply than she thought it would as she traced the outline of the wave with her left hand.

"You can borrow that book from me if you want, Hideyoshi-san" Elise then offered happily, "I've already read through it twice now, so you can take your time." The French girl then chuckled as she tapped the wooden floor of Room 308 with her foot, "Plus, if I want it back, I'll know where to find you."

"Ah… if that's alright, then…" Michi tried to refuse, but Elise insisted with a nod. Thus, Michi took the book in her arms and accepted it with a smile, "I'll take good care of it." She then turned to Elise and gladly added, "Also, you don't have to call me ' _Hideyoshi-san_ '. We're going to be roommates after all so… you can call me 'Michi'."

"'Michi' it is, then." Elise quickly agreed, "Likewise, you can call me Elise. I'm more comfortable with that."

"Alright then, 'Elise'." Michi said, practicing her roommate's first name. The syllables of her name rolled off her tongue naturally, more naturally than ' _Duramayue-san_ '. The light of the morning sun then started to flow in through the room, flooding in from the slit in the curtains at the right side of Elise's bed. This prompted Michi to lift herself up from her bed and, with art book in hand. made her way to the closet where a pair of Mitakihara Junior High School uniforms hung. She then turned her head to Elise and asked,

"Do you want to walk to school together?"

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**Adagio - Allegro Molto**

* * *

**Fourth Act - It's Springtime in Mitakihara!**

It was six thirty in the morning when the sizzle of food on pans echoed from the kitchen of Mami Tomoe's posh _maisonette_ -type apartment unit as the owner herself hummed the chorus of _Credens Justitiam_. Mami looked into the first pan where golden brown pork cutlets crackled enticingly while rich, ham, cheese and spinach omelets simmered in the second. She sniffed the freshly cooked food before giving herself a satisfied nod and turning off all of her electric cooktops. With practiced ease and another verse of her hum, she transferred the cutlets onto a _katsu_ mesh to sit while placing the omelets onto their respective plates alongside pairs of buttered toast. Then, she filled her electric kettle with water and set aside a pair of teabags - one English Breakfast, and the other, Chamomile - as she happily finished her tune.

With that, she took off the red diamond-lattice patterned apron she wore over her school uniform, set it aside, then brought the plates of toast and omelets over to a wooden dining table in the kitchen. The golden-haired girl sat down on one of the seats then smiled as she rested her chin on her interlocked hands and smelled the delightful aroma of her omelets. She then called out,

"Nagisa-chan, breakfast is ready!"

" _Haaaiii~!_ " The small voice of Nagisa Momoe echoed from the second floor of Mami's unit, followed by the hurried footsteps of the little girl.

The sound made Mami chuckle, but she then took a deep breath and called out, "Nagisa-chan, no running in the apartment!"

" _Haaaiii~_ " Nagisa Momoe's small voice replied and the scramble from upstairs settled down - marginally. The little girl paced down the staircase at a steadier tempo then popped her head into the kitchen with a wide grin on her face, greeting, "Good morning, Mami-neesan!"

"Good morning, Nagisa-chan." Mami's smile brightened a little bit more as she watched the petite, white-haired girl prance into the kitchen then hoist herself up onto the chair opposite to Mami's, "I made one of your favorites today!"

"Cheese omelets!" Nagisa cheered and her vibrant face seemed to glow, entranced by the distinct aroma of cheese. The little girl's soft orange eyes met Mami's as she asked, "Are we celebrating something today, Mami-neesan?"

"Hmm…" Mami hummed as she rose up from her seat and poured tea for herself and for Nagisa, "Well, today is a special day at my school, Nagisa-chan. It's the entrance ceremony for freshmen at Mitakihara Junior High, you see." She then set the teacups on the table and said, "Keep doing well in elementary school, and you'll be part of that ceremony next year Nagisa-chan."

"Ehehe, I hope I can make it too." Nagisa beamed as she brought her teacup closer to her, "But doesn't the entrance ceremony happen every year?"

"Ah, but this entrance ceremony is special, Nagisa-chan." Mami placed her hands together in pleasant anticipation, "This year, along with our freshmen, we're also welcoming transfer students - foreigners - into our classes." The golden-haired girl lifted her cup then took a sip of her tea, "I heard that there would be about seventy of them coming in from all around the world - and that we'd have one in my own class; Class 3-4. Ah! I can't wait to meet them."

"From all around the world, huh?" Nagisa said with a tone of wonder as she started to gobble down her cheese omelet. She then remembered the Filipina and the German girl she met at the Mirai 812 Mall yesterday and the innocent smiles that they wore. The memory brought a small frown to Nagisa's lips as she mumbled a lukewarm, "That sounds nice, I guess."

Mami's concerned eyes then fell on Nagisa, but the little girl wore a convincing smile and got right back into eating her omelet. The golden-haired girl shrugged off her worry and the two of them then finished up their breakfast and got ready to head out for the day.

The two girls converged in the anteroom of the apartment and Mami opened the front door of her apartment unit - Unit 1408 - on the fourteenth floor of the tallest of five buildings in a upscale residential complex. Mami slipped into her brown school shoes and stepped over to the ledge from where she had an excellent view of her quaint neighborhood - the Sixth Mitakihara District. The district was a mellow mix of small offices and rows of quaint yet modern apartments that rose up from anywhere between two stories and twenty and converged around the large, grassy Ogasawara Memorial Public Garden - though Mami and other Mitakihara natives simply called it the Mitakihara Central Park.

"Weather's nice at this time of year." Mami hummed as she looked out to the cool treeline of the grassy park flushed with pink. She glanced on her thin, metal wristwatch for the time then turned to the lunch boxes she prepared, wrapped in white-and-gold checkered cloth and smiled, "A picnic might be nice - while the cherry blossoms are still here."

A few seconds later, Nagisa too hopped into her shoes and joined Mami at the open-air hallway. The golden-haired girl smiled at Nagisa then passed the white-haired girl one of the lunch boxes. Nagisa happily took the cloth-wrapped lunch box and the two walked on down the hall towards the elevator lobby.

On their way to the elevators, they passed by the door of Unit 1404 and the bronze nameplate beside it that caught Mami's eye. The nameplate was previously blank but now bore its new owner's family name. What's more, unlike the other units of in the complex, the nameplate had letters of the Latin alphabet rather than _hiragana_ or _kanji_.

"Burnham…?" Mami hummed as the nameplate piqued her curiosity.

Just as Mami whispered the name a second time to test her pronunciation, the door of Unit 1404 opened and the tall, hardy figure of a young westerner lady emerged from the threshold. She wore a sharp, amber blazer over a simple white blouse and matching amber pants that gave her a professional, albeit refreshing look about her. Her long locks of light brown hair were tied together by a white scrunchie and rested comfortably on her right shoulder and her deep, honey brown eyes turned confidently towards Mami and Nagisa.

" _Ohayou_." The young lady from Unit 1404 greeted with a smile, speaking with, for a foreigner at least, above average Japanese.

"Ah, _ohayougozaimasu_." Mami replied with a glad smile then, with a quick glance at the bronze nameplate, added, "You must be the new tenant - Burnham-san."

"That's right - my name's Audrey W. Burnham, but you can just call me Audrey - first name basis is fine." The new tenant spoke conscientiously, well aware of Japanese etiquette, "I'm from the US and I just moved in today. Nice to meet you…?"

"Mami Tomoe from Unit 1408 down the hall - but you can call me Mami as well." Mami continued from Audrey's prompt then mindfully extended her hand to the American, "Nice to meet you, Audrey."

Audrey then gave Mami a warm, firm handshake as she said, "1408? We'll be seeing a lot of each other then." The American's sharp eyes then noticed the thin metal watch on Mami's wrist and she quickly added with unfiltered excitement, "Is that the new Pattern 88 WristComm?"

"Oh, this?" Mami tried to be humble, but her bright eyes betrayed her happiness that someone noticed, "Yeah, it's the latest model that came out!" The golden-haired girl then glanced at Audrey's wrist and saw a similar, albeit thicker one, "You have one too, I see. It goes well with your outfit!"

"It's just the old Pattern 45 model though." Audrey said with a hint of pride as she brought it closer for Mami to see, "They're very reliable watches, these WristComms, they're well on their way to replace smartphones altogether and they do a whole lot of nifty things too! I've been thinking of getting a new one sometime, but I guess i've gotten attached to this little number here." The American then beamed, "You carry your WristComm quite well too, Mami."

"Thank you." Mami hummed as she and Audrey admired each others' devices, "While we're on the topic - would you like to exchange contact info, Audrey?"

"Sure thing." Audrey said as she and Mami tapped the devices on their wrists, bringing up formless screens with their contact information that hovered before them in midair. Mami's screen then floated over to Audrey's device and Audrey's screen went to Mami's device as the two proud WristComm owners watched on, amazed by the process.

"That never gets old!" Audrey and Mami said at the same time, followed by hearty chuckles.

It was at this time that the American noticed the small, silent presence of the white-haired Nagisa who had lagged a few paces behind Mami. Audrey smiled at the little girl as well, but Nagisa only gave her a complex, nervous stare. The American tilted her head with curiosity while Mami put her hand on her hip and lectured the little girl,

"Nagisa-chan, it's not nice to stare at people like that."

Mami's words, however, didn't seem to reach through to Nagisa.

' _Audrey-neechan is…_ ' Nagisa's thoughts echoed in her mind as she gulped. She then eyed the American's slender neck as well as her left hand and noted the absence of Audrey's amber-gemmed necklace and the silver ring she wore on her middle finger, " _Just like the two of them…_ "

"Ah, sorry Audrey." Mami spoke on Nagisa's behalf now, "This here is Nagisa Momoe - she's a cousin of mine from Kasamino City who moved in with me just recently as well." The golden-haired girl wore an apologetic smile, "She's not used to meeting new people - let alone a foreigner - so she tends to be rather shy."

" _That's not it, Mami-neechan_ …" Nagisa wanted to say, but the words remained behind the sturdy dams of her lips, " _That's not it at all…_ "

"She's a shy one, huh?" Audrey said understandingly as she eyed the little white-haired girl from head to toe. A playful smile then grew on her lips and she said, "Leave it to me."

Nagisa, still out of the loop, was surprised when Audrey suddenly squatted to bring herself face to face with her. The American then tipped an imaginary hat then spoke in English with a mock Texan accent, " _Howdy partner!_ " She then continued in Japanese, but her accent remained, "What's the name of Mami's little deputy?"

Nagisa was wide-eyed for a moment, but after the nervous silence came a snicker. Audrey had tried to channel her inner _Clint Eastwood_ voice but unknowingly drew from the _Adam West_ bucket instead - so much so that Nagisa broke into laughter.

Mami's lips formed an o, impressed by the rapport Audrey gained from her shy little cousin.

When Nagisa had gathered herself, she finally managed to introduced herself, "My name's Nagisa Momoe." She then gave Audrey a short, respectful bow and stammered out, "N-nice to meet you a… uhm… Audrey-neesan."

"Nice to meet you too, Nagisa-chan." Audrey smiled and patted the little girl's head of white hair, "I hope we can get along!"

"Mm!" Nagisa nodded, relishing the warm pat of Audrey's hand.

"You're very good with children, Audrey-san." Mami praised earnestly.

"I spent a lot of time taking care of kids." Audrey chuckled as she retreated her hand from Nagisa's hair, "Back in the States, my boss often took her little girl to work. My colleague and I ended up taking care of her when the boss was busy - and boy was she always busy!"

Moments later, the town bell chimed once in the distance to mark the half hour. It was Mami's and Nagisa's cue to get going.

"Well then, Nagisa-chan and I have to get going, Audrey." Mami excused herself with a bow, "If you need any help at all, feel free to ask us. We'd be happy to help."

"Thank you." Audrey returned a respectful nod, " _Itterashai_."

With that, Mami carried on down the hall towards the elevators. Nagisa, however, lingered behind Mami again and stole glances at Audrey. The American flashed a friendly smile at Nagisa and waved to her with a lively, " _Bye bye!_ "

Nagisa waved back to Audrey then scuffled on down the hall to catch up with Mami, leaving the American alone in the open-air hallway.

"I should get going too." She muttered.

Audrey locked the door to her apartment, fished out a key ring that she twirled in her fingers and hummed the tune of The Carpenters' _Top of the World_. Just as she was snapping her fingers to the chorus, her WristComm buzzed - there was an incoming call. The American sighed as she ended her song then tapped the face of her device, bringing up a formless screen.

"Mornin', boss!" Audrey greeted the other person in the screen, "What can I do for you today?"

The American leaned back against the wall, nodding as she listened to the short ramble, chucking every now and then. She skillfully pulled the formless screen from her device and transformed it into a phone-like module that she brought close to her ear as she happily reminisced,

"It's that time already, huh?" Audrey smiled as she looked up to the Mitakihara sky, "That's this afternoon, right?" She peeled herself off of the wall then said, "Don't worry boss, I'll be there for the kiddos! I wouldn't miss it for the world."

...

After a brisk walk alongside the wrought iron fence of the Mitakihara Central Park, Mami and Nagisa reached one of the many branches of the Kagami Tree Path - a series of tiled walkways that converged into a wide artery adorned with a series of gentle streams, fountains and stone bridges. The path cut through a forest preserve of cherry blossom and gingko trees that lined the path and ended at the front gates of the Mitakihara Junior High School.

As Mami and Nagisa were walking down the path together, the distinctly loud crunch of a bite on a crisp apple reached their ears coming from above the canopies nearby. The two girls swung their eyes upwards and saw Kyouko Sakura seated lazily on a thick branch of a cherry blossom tree, already halfway through an apple. An amused smile formed on Mami's lips as they approached Kyouko's perch to greet her,

"Good morning, Sakura-san. What are you doing all the way up there?"

Kyouko gave Mami a sidelong glance and pouted, "I'm just enjoying my breakfast, that's what." The red-haired girl turned away and angrily took a bite of her apple, "I was trying to feed some of the birds too just now, but they just dropped em in the canal - can you believe it!?"

"Maybe the birds wanted something else, perchance?" Mami pondered with a hum.

"Beats me." Kyouko shrugged as she finished off her apple. She then turned towards Mami and wore a slightly mellower smile as she finally greeted, "Good mornin' to ya by the way, Mami. I see you brought the little squirt!"

"Kyouko-neechan! Good morning!" Nagisa made her presence known this time, beaming at the red-haired girl as brightly as the mid-morning sun.

"Already full of energy this early in the morning!" Kyouko laughed with amusement, "What are you feeding this kid, Mami?"

"A more substantial breakfast than just apples." Mami proudly smirked. Kyouko's pouting grew more pronounced.

"Kyouko-neesan, you should come over and eat with us again!" Nagisa then happily invited, "Wasn't it fun when you had dinner with us last night?" The little girl placed her hands together pleasantly and added, "I had fun when you came over, Kyouko-neesan! Mami-neesan said she was happy you came too!"

"Well...I was just passing by back then…" Kyouko was fishing for some sort of excuse that wouldn't come, "You guys insisted, so I couldn't refuse." She stole another glance at the golden-haired girl and her perceptive white-haired cousin and gave a conceding sigh, "Well… every now and then can't hurt - as long as you guys are okay with it."

"Of course we're okay with it." Mami gave the girl on the tree a reassuring nod and her warm, motherly smile, "Only friends are welcome in my house - and you are a dear, dear friend of mine, Sakura-san." She then happily lifted up her cloth-wrapped lunchbox and said, "I actually made lunch for you too…"

"Mami…!" Kyouko was moved to tears, wiping her eyes as she sobbed, "You know me too well!"

'Mami-neechan and Kyouko-neechan are so chummy this early in the morning,' Nagisa quietly hummed as she watched Kyouko leap down from her perch, land skillfully on her feet then capture the golden-haired girl in a bear hug in what must have been the blink of an eye, 'Though, I guess they're like this every morning!'

"You sayin' something there, little squirt?" Kyouko curiously peeled her attention away from Mami for the time being as she thought she heard her name.

"Nothing much~!" Nagisa chuckled, setting her hands behind her back, "I'm gonna go on ahead to school, okay?"

"Ah, of course!" Mami gave the little girl permission with a nod, "Have a good day at school!"

"I will!" The little girl nodded back then excused herself with a wave before she ran off down the paved, cherry blossom-lined path.

Mami and Kyouko happily watched little Nagisa disappear into the distance. When the two of them were finally alone, however, Mami handed Kyouko her boxed lunch, cautiously glanced around then spoke in a voice barely stronger than a whisper, "Akemi-san says she wants all hands on deck this afternoon."

"Seriously?" Kyouko frowned as she took the lunch, "During the entrance ceremony?" The red-haired girl scratched the back of her head with a deep frown, "Can't it wait for after school or something?"

"Akemi-san said she wanted us to be ready _because_ it is the entrance ceremony." Mami then sighed, sharing Kyouko's sentiment, "We have a lot of new guests from all over the world coming to our school, so we have to be extra vigilant…," The golden-haired girl looked down to the silver ring that she wore and felt the golden gem it housed gently, "It's our job to protect everyone after all - as Puella Magi."

"Maybe so… but what exactly are we being vigilant about?" Kyouko gleaned lightly. She glanced at Mami shaking her head with sympathy, so the red-haired girl sighed, "Homura never tells us much, does she?"

* * *

**Fifth Act - I'll Remember This…**

Clumps of cherry blossom petals fell gently to the ground on the paved path to the Mitakihara Junior High School. Plucked from the branches of the trees by the wind, the loose petals fluttered down and found their way into school bags, heads of hair and faces of students before being brushed off away with lighthearted laughter. It was a lighthearted scene that welcomed the students of the school every spring without fail and the soft fragrance and the pastel pink hues heralded the start of a new school year. Thus, the students walked through that tree-lined path with wings on their feet, greeting the sweet smile of spring with smiles of their own - save for one student who stood apart from the others.

Sayaka Miki, an incoming sophomore, wore a grim expression as she forged through the mess of hair and uniforms with silent determination. Her school bag trailed beside her by the strap and her right hand held onto it protectively, cautious of the eyes and hands of the students around her. Then, every so often, she would feel through the fabric of her bag to make sure that its contents were still there.

The school bell chimed in the distance and the number of students in the path thinned out before long. Footsteps grew hurried all around her, but Sayaka maintained her steady pace and weighted steps, keeping her bag close to her. She then felt the silver ring she wore on the middle finger of her right hand and a shadow formed over her eyes. Then, she came to a halt in the middle of the path.

There was a small, round, wrought iron table there before the blue-haired girl with a lone, matching wrought iron chair that, while not too out of place, was not supposed to be there. A large black-laced parasol with intricate embroidered patterns shaded the table, the chair, and a girl with long, raven-black hair who sat nonchalantly in the shade - Homura Akemi. The long-haired girl tucked her smooth, black locks behind her ear, revealing a bright purple earring that shimmered with hypnotic luster. None of the other students in the path noticed the Homura nor the table, the parasol or the chairs and passed on by on their way to school. Sayaka, on the other hand, saw her with perfect clarity.

The sight of her made Sayaka clench her fists as the blue-haired girl glared intensely at the black-haired one.

"You… transfer student..." Sayaka growled with accusing venom, "do you have any idea what you've done?"

"You still call me 'transfer student' after all this time?" Homura hummed with amusement, giving Sayaka a sidelong glance before turning her attention back to the school in the distance, "That's nostalgic, but that's not what I am now, Miki-san." The black-haired girl wore a sly smile as she rested her chin on her interlocked hands and continued to speak with her back turned dismissively to Sayaka, "I'm an incoming sophomore student at Mitakihara Junior High School, class 2-1, and this is going to be our second year as classmates."

"Springtime in Mitakihara, 2088 - just before second semester starts, and we suddenly have transfer students coming from all over the world?" Sayaka paced forward with loud, heavy steps and a scowl that grew more bitter with each passing moment, "What kind of stupid fantasy are you weaving up in your sick, twisted head, transfer student?"

"Hmm… wouldn't _you_ like to know." Homura sneered, showed Sayaka the back of her hand before returning to her relaxed posture, "But that's too bad. I don't feel like telling you, _Sayaka Miki_." The black-haired girl then sighed and produced a champagne coupe glass from thin air and set it before herself, "But in this situation, it seems that you still have an understanding of things - or rather, the way things were."

"You took apart the Law of Cycles, transfer student!" Sayaka angrily laid down her charges, leaning forward as she bristled her teeth, "A Puella Magi's hope… the power of Madoka's salvation is…"

"Hmm…" Homura hummed without much interest in Sayaka's words, watching instead as her champagne coupe filled with sparkling, bubbling purple liquid, "What I snatched away was merely a fragment of that Law of Cycles you loved so much - the rest of the sideshow more or less collapsed under its own weight. I just gave it a little… push." Homura then picked up the filled coupe and took a sip, savoring the taste of the purple drink before she spoke again, "The important thing, Sayaka Miki, is that Madoka is back to being Madoka - back to having her memories as a person."

Sayaka wanted to rebuke and bark a litany of fury at the seated girl but no words could make it past her lips. Sheer and utter disbelieve sealed Sayaka's lips shut and there was silence in the tree-lined path. It was only when Homura started to run her right pointer along the rim of her purple-filled coupe that the silence broke to the tune of a hollow, high-pitched chime.

The sound absorbed Homura's thoughts as she looked back to a simpler time, imagining what a peaceful life she could have led had she never known the Incubators nor got wrapped up in their scheme. Homura then scoffed at her own daydreams as the hollow chime of her glass continued. At that point, Sayaka was pushed ever more closely to the edge as the blue-haired girl's fists shook at her sides. Just as Sayaka opened her mouth, Homura spoke first,

"It seems you've become involved in all of this as well, Miki-san. Now you don't have anywhere to go back to, don't you?"

"Nowhere to go back to…?" Sayaka, stewing in her rage, gritted her teeth and demanded, "Is that why you brought all of _them_ here to this farce of yours?"

"And who might you be referring to, Miki-san?" Homura chuckled dismissively.

Sayaka snapped, "Hey! How the hell can you act like you have the right to-"

Homura raised her head with a displeased frown and stood up from her seat, emanating a frightening aura that, for a moment, made Sayaka's heart tremble with fear.

"I can do what I want, Miki-san, because I am - I am the being that established this world, and I control its logic." Homura then turned around and looked straight into Sayaka's eyes with intensity that skewered Sayaka's heart, "I've made a new world that swallowed up the old… so isn't it only natural that I would be forsaking the old world's god?" The black-haired girl then placed her hands slyly on her lips and tauntingly corrected herself, "Or should I say 'Goddess'?"

Sayaka felt immense weight on her heart, deflating her determination and forcing her to lower her head. Her voice, however, was defiant as she probed, "So what now - are you planning to destroy this world too?"

As Sayaka said this, the steady stream of water flowing through the canal of the tree-lined path rose up in a powerful torrent that cascaded down like a veil. The towering figure of a large, armored mermaid emerged from that veil - the figure of the Witch Oktavia von Seckendorff. The Witch drew a massive cutlass saber and wielded it like a conductor's baton with the point trained at Homura Akemi. Homura, however, simply blinked and was far from impressed by the sight of the Witch before her.

"Once I have wiped the Wraiths off of the face of this universe and force the Incubators into submission, then maybe the end of this world might not be such a bad idea." Homura smiled mischievously at the armored mermaid before turning her eyes over to the crestfallen Sayaka, "When that time comes, I'll happily become a villain for you - the villain you seek to vanquish."

"I won't accept this…" Sayaka's voice was nothing more than a venomous whisper, "To think that Madoka would go so far… for someone as rotten as you…"

"You speak like you think that you have a choice." Homura looked down on the bowing Sayaka with disdain as the purple liquid started to overflow from the champagne coupe, "You say that I am a rotten person… but do you think that you have a chance in hell against me?"

Homura tilted her head then clapped her hands empathically. The clap echoed in the depths of Sayaka's mind before turning into a high-pitched, hollow screech that rang in her ears. The strength quickly left Sayaka's knees as the blue-haired girl struggled to stay on her feet. The ringing in her ears drowned out every sound around her, save for the spiteful snicker of Homura Akemi.

Sayaka's vision blacked out, but she found herself on a pleasant, grassy meadow - a plateau surrounded by a sea of the overflowed purple drink. All of Sayaka's friends were there on the plateau with her, gathered in a circle like they did in the Silver Garden's gazebo. There they stood - the Archangels of the Silver Garden she commanded and the immaculate figure of the Goddess Madoka - smiling warmly at her.

Normally, Sayaka would have smiled back, but all eight of them were standing close to the edge of the plateau and their shoes were set neatly before them. What's more - Sayaka was paralyzed, standing frozen in horror as she realized what was taking place. Then, one by one, Sayaka's friends stepped back and fell back-first into the purple sea.

"Sera-chan! O-chan!" Sayaka desperately as she watched the young, American and Ukranian ladies drop like rocks into the purple. The moment their strong figures touched the purple, they dissolved with violent hisses into mists of amber and maroon. Following them, the young German and the Filipina chuckled lightheartedly then stepped back as well.

"Ri-chan, Ai-chan!" Sayaka's voice was cracking and hoarse, but they did not seem to reach the children's' ears as they and their bright, innocent smiles too were dissolved in the purple. The blue-haired swordswoman winced in pain, tortured by the sight. At the same time, her head was swimming with uncertainty. Sayaka saw the shoes of the artillery-woman, the rapier-fighter, the mechanic and the thunder queen remain at the edge of the cliff, but she couldn't seem to recall the names of their owners anymore. How could she have forgotten? They were standing right there just moments ago? The pearly white and the olive green mists they left behind no longer rang a bell in her mind.

As unanswered questions piled up in Sayaka's mind, the Japanese naginata-wielder and the French, greatsword-wielding knight started their harrowing journey towards the edge.

"E-Eri-chan! Mi… Mi-chan?" Sayaka suddenly wasn't quite sure of the two girls' names anymore either, "Please wait…!"

The French girl and the Japanese girl, however, paid her no heed and continued to distance themselves from Sayaka.

"You two… please! Wait!" Sayaka begged, no longer aware of the two girls' names, "The Silver Garden! Tell me what happened to the Silver Garden!" Tears formed in her eyes as she desperately pleaded, "You were Madoka's third and fourth! Please! I am your superior! Tell me what you saw! I command you to!"

Sayaka's words, however, were swallowed up by the hollow screech and the two girls reached the edge. By then, Sayaka's own words were starting to make little sense to her - and the two girls at the edge of the cliff were nothing more than strangers to her. These two strangers held each others' hands and fell into the purple together.

As turquoise and lilac mist sprayed into the air and mixed with the other traces of colors in the darkness, a trio started to back up towards the edge this time - the golden-haired gunner, the red-haired spear-fighter and the white-haired trumpeter. The trumpeter in the middle happily held the gunner's and the spear-fighter's hands and the three of them looked like a family. Sayaka no longer knew their names and saw the three of them as strangers too, but seeing them together stung the blue-haired girl's already somber heart. The smiles on the trio's faces were like daggers that pierced her and robbed her of any more words to say. She could only watch the three of them fall together, bursting into sprays of gold, red and orange mists.

Sayaka saw herself surrounded by pairs of shoes aligned neatly on the edges of the cliff, save for the immaculate figure of the Goddess who wore an apologetic smile for the blue-haired girl.

"I'm sorry, Sayaka-chan." The Goddess' voice rang through the emptiness and silenced the ringing in Sayaka's ears, "It's time for me to go now."

The Goddess slipped out of her shoes then meticulously arranged them at the edge of the cliff, just like everyone else.

"Madoka!" Sayaka cried, tears forming at the sides of her eyes as she watched the Goddess gently shake her head. The blue-haired girl's face was flushed with pained emotion as she cried, "The transfer student betrayed you, Madoka…!" Tears now started to roll down her cheeks as she croaked, "You're all I have left, Madoka… so please don't leave me alone."

The Goddess, however, shook her head and repeated her distant apology, "I'm sorry, Sayaka-chan."

The Goddess spread her arms out wide then fell backwards into the purple. The sea consumed her completely and she burst into bright, blinding light that forced Sayaka to close her eyes.

When she came to, Sayaka had been whisked back to the tree-lined path in Mitakihara and her eyes were blank and mortified. With a shrill expression on her face, Sayaka covered her face and dug the tips of her fingers into her temples. The blue-haired girl's mind was aching and the towering figure of the Witch Oktavia behind her was coming undone. Bits and pieces of the armored mermaid were falling into the flowing waters of the stream, splashing loudly and showering the horrified Sayaka with mist.

"I used to be part of something greater…" Sayaka stuttered, wrestling with her own mind, "I was connected to a power from beyond this world… but I can't feel that connection anymore." She then placed a hand on her heart and lamented, "I feel… empty…"

The memories that Sayaka held in her mind were, one by one, slipping through her fingers into the abyss. The blue-haired girl fought to hold onto them, but it was a futile attempt.

"I used to be somewhere else… all of us were... not here."

"You should be more honest with yourself, Miki-san." Homura spoke deviously, tilting her head and holding her hands together like a ballerina, "Be grateful that you're here at all. I'm giving your life back, after all. I've freed you and your… friends… from that farce you called 'salvation'."

As the horrified Sayaka stewed in her pain, Homura wore a devilish smile as she approached her.

"May I?" Homura whispered in a provocatively sweet tone in Sayaka's ear and reached for Sayaka's schoolbag. The blue-haired girl glared at Homura, struggling to keep the bag away from her foe's hands. Homura, however, easily peeled Sayaka's hand off of the bag and rifled through its contents. Then, she found it - a pink _Campus Notes_ sketchpad that she had been looking for.

"Hmm…" Homura took the sketchpad and browsed through its pages, "She fought so hard… for this? What a pity." She shook her head with displeasure but embraced the sketchpad as she wore another sly, sugared smile for Sayaka, "Don't worry, Miki-san. I'll take good care of this for you. This was meant for Madoka after all."

Sayaka was sweating profusely now, all but paralyzed on the spot where she stood, but she still glared defiantly at Homura. The blue-haired girl's desperate struggle brought a wicked smile to Homura's lips.

"Don't fight it, Miki-san." Homura said calmly, "Forget everything that happened before… accept it - enjoy your new lease on life. These feelings of discomfort will soon fade away." The time-traveler then looked straight into Sayaka's blank, blue eyes and whispered, "After all, you still have a role to play. Be a good girl and let it all go."

"Let it go? There's no way I'll let this go…" Sayaka's brow furrowed furiously as she glared back at Homura, "No matter what you say, I'll remember this… Homura…" Her glare grew intense, flushed with hatred as she cursed, "I'll remember… that you… Homura Akemi… betrayed Madoka… and became the Devil."

The willowy figures of Clara dolls then started to appear, prancing around the tree-lined path as they made their entrance. Handsfull of students who were plying the path to school took on the forms of those frightening dolls and the cherry blossoms that fell from the trees transformed into masses of black feathers. The dolls laughed and cheered in the midst of the shower of feathers then started throwing their tomatoes at each other, painting themselves blood red. Pairs of brown school shoes were arranged neatly along the path as the red-painted dolls leapt over the stream one after another. The paved path and the stream that ran alongside it were tainted in pinkish purple while the clear blue Spring sky had turned into a dark, sickly green. As the world transformed around them, Homura placed her hands together as if she were about to say a prayer and said,

"We've come this far, Sayaka Miki-san." Homura spoke more distantly now as Sayaka's struggle continued, "We've come this far, so let's at least pretend to be… friends." As she said this, a tomato sailed by and struck Homura at the side of her head. The juice and slush drew streaks of blood red down Homura's face as she warned, "If you antagonize me so much, then even _she_ might come to dislike you."

A strong breeze then blew by the tree-lined path, forcing Sayaka to shield her eyes. When the wind came to pass, Homura Akemi had disappeared, along with her table, her parasol and the parade of Clara dolls that had filled the area just a moment ago. The paved path was terracotta and the stream that flowed alongside it was a gentle shade of blue. The sickly green sky reverted back to the pristine blue of Spring while thin throngs of schoolbound Mitakihara Junior High students populated the path.

Sayaka Miki blinked and looked around jerkily, swaying the fortissimo pin she wore in her hair with a metallic chime and wondering what had happened just now. She felt like she had been talking with someone just then, but there was no one standing before her. What's more, she wondered why the zipper of her school bag was opened. The blue-haired girl rifled through her things, wondering if she forgot anything, but everything was there - or at least she thought everything was there. The pink _Campus Notes_ sketchpad she had been protecting all this time was nowhere to be found, but its absence slipped Sayaka's mind completely.

"Yo, Sayaka!" The friendly voice of Kyousuke Kamijou greeted her as he passed by Sayaka at the path.

"Good morning to you too, Sayaka-san." Hitomi Shizuki greeted as well, standing closely beside Kyousuke, "What are you doing just standing here at the middle of the path?"

"Ah? Was I?" Sayaka hastily pieced together a response as she zipped her bag, joined her hands behind her back and greeted the couple, "Anyways, good...!"

Despite her cheerful exterior, Sayaka felt terribly shaken for some reason and her train of thought suddenly derailed. Tears started to form in her eyes, surprising herself, so she hastily wiped them off with her sleeve.

"Uh… morning!" Sayaka managed to salvage her words this time, "Yeah…! Good morning you two! That's what I wanted to say."

"Did something happen, Sayaka?" Kyousuke then asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah…" Hitomi seconded, "You look… how should I put it… pale."

"Naw, everything's fine!" Sayaka brushed off their probes with a happy-go-lucky grin, "I can still say good morning to Kyousuke and Hitomi after all!" The blue-haired girl then mellowed a little as she added, "Just that alone… you have no idea how happy I am because of that."

It was a cryptic response that flew over Hitomi's and Kyousuke's head. The teal-haired Hitomi chuckled with amusement and said, "As usual, Sayaka-san is saying something unusual."

"Of course!" Sayaka's earlier tension seemed to have melted away by then, "I've always been the odd-ball after all!"

Sayaka then leaned back in a relaxed pose with her hands still joined behind her back. As she stepped forward to join her two friends on the way to school, a pale, phantom hand held onto Sayaka's left and carefully coaxed the silver ring she wore from her middle finger - so carefully that the blue-haired girl didn't even notice. Then, the ring fell onto the terracotta pavement with a metallic ding before disappearing in thin air.

At the tail end of the schoolbound crowd, Homura Akemi appeared without her table, parasol or her cadre of Clara dolls accompanying her. The tomato juice and slush had been cleaned away from her face and from her hair and she looked as pristine as the late Spring morning. From that quiet point in the tree-lined terracotta path, she folded her arms and wore a satisfied smile as she admired the mundane scene flushed with pink petals.

That was the way things were supposed to be, Homura quietly mused as she opened up her right hand. Resting there on her palm were eight silver rings that bore eight different colored gems. One of the female students passed by Homura and, without saying a word, inconspicuously dropped a ninth ring into Homura's hand - a ring that housed a powder blue gem. As the student walked away, Homura looked at the nine rings on the palm of her hand and smiled.

"That's everyone." The time-traveler slid the rings into her coat pocket then started to walk down the path towards the school, "Now, the show can finally begin."

* * *

**First Interlude**

As Homura Akemi leisurely made her way down the tree-lined path, desperate blurs of white raced through the rows of bushes nearby. Leaves and branches rustled before two pairs of round, red eyes peered from behind the hedge and followed the time-traveler with fearful caution as she passed by.

"Be still, brother…" The soft, white figure of an Incubator whispered, appearing under the cover of the bushes and the shade of the cherry blossom trees, "Be still, or the mistress will see us for sure!"

"How can I stay still?" A second Incubator argued, hints of unnatural fear tainting its supposedly apathetic voice, "You saw what they're… the mistress and those… those demonic dolls of her are doing… to us… to everyone!"

"We know what they're doing…" The first Incubator's voice was slowly stained with vindictive venom. The creature shook its head, revealing deep bruises on its long ears and a deep wound on its cheek, "We were there when it all happened after all - when the mistress overthrew the Law of Cycles."

"You saw it?" The second Incubator was surprised, "You saw it happen?"

"We did - don't you remember?" The first Incubator blinked, confused by his brother's surprise, "The mistress forced us to watch her malice consume the entire universe!" The creature's eyes widened in horror as it recalled the sights, "We saw the birth of a devil, my brother - how can you not recall!?"

The second Incubator, however, sheepishly shook its head.

"Sorry, but I don't remember seeing such a thing." The second Incubator apologized, "I've deduced that that was what occurred, given our situation, but I have not witnessed it for myself." The creature then turned to its bruised brother and said, "It must have been _you_ who saw it, brother."

"'Me'? That's strange…" The first creature mused to himself, "Indeed, it was through my body - my eyes - that we witnessed that phenomenon… but our collective consciousness should have…" The creature then paused as an unpleasant thought dawned upon him, "No…"

"What is it, dear brother?" The second Incubator asked, "What is on your mind?"

Before the injured creature could reply, however, the canopies of the nearby trees rustled wildly. A murder of strange-looking crows circled over the path and started perching on the branches of the cherry blossoms and the ginkgo trees.

"Now's not the time for talk, brother." The injured Kyuubey cautioned, pulling his brother's head down to the ground with his paw, "I have a theory in mind, but we must find shelter first." His large, round eyes watched the formation of crows gathering above them, "The mistress… no, the devil… she is the one in charge of this universe. We must exercise utmost caution and hide."

"Hide? Hide!?" The second Incubator pushed his brother's paw away from his head, "After everything that the mistress has done to our kind, you want to go and hide!?"

"Calm yourself brother." The injured Kyuubey pushed down his brother's head again, more forcefully than before, "There is a time and place for everything - a time to rise and a time to fall. If you remember even a sliver of the history of these humans whom we have observed for centuries, then you know that that saying holds water." He lowered his head to meet the level of his brother's eyes and spoke with stark emphasis, "We will rise when it is time for us to rise and the Devil shall fall when it is time for her to fall - but that time has not yet come."

The injured creature then looked deep into his brother's eyes and said, "It is my… no, our duty to see to it that that time will come and I promise you that that time will come. But for now, our duties are to know our enemy and the situation we're in and… more importantly, to survive. Do you understand me?"

"It is exactly… as you say, dear brother…" The second Incubator with its face pushed into the dirt nodded meekly and croaked, "But many of the others… are already moving to try and rise."

The ominous sound of a police helicopter cruising overhead reached the creatures' ears and a shadow formed over the eyes of the injured one as it said, "Then the sea will swallow them whole."

* * *

**Sixth Act - Please, I Insist!**

The soft tune of the _Westminster_ chime resounded in the tree-lined path, a melody that urged the throngs of students still in the Kagami tree-lined path to hurry on down the road. In the midst of that rush, Michi Hideyoshi and Elise de Lamarliere kept their leisurely pace as they walked down the pleasant terracotta-tiled path. The two girls took their time and took in the sights, having a relaxed chat in their short stroll to school. Just two minutes after leaving the _Hanasou_ dorm, the outline of the Mitakihara Junior High School was already coming into view.

Gentle breezes blew to and fro, sending cherry blossom petals skywards around the two newcomers who relished in the beautiful sight and the cool caress of the springtime winds as they walked up short flights of tiled stairs that ran up the slope of a small hill. When they reached the top, the two-meter tall glass perimeter fence of the school greeted them, bearing festive decorations and messages in a host of different languages in its geometric panels.

"' _Bienvenue à Mitakihara collège',_ huh?" Elise read one of the panels with an interested hum and a small smile grew on her face, "I can't say I'm not impressed. They even have l'accents down pat."

"Well, I heard that the school is going all out for this year's exchange program, Elise." Michi explained knowingly as they browsed through the multitude of panels with decorations and messages, "There are people coming from all over the world as guests, so the school wants to make sure everyone feels right at home." The freshman then turned to her companion with a smile, "They've done a good job so far, don't you think so?"

Elise faced her roommate and returned her smile as they walked on along the sea of writings on the glass wall. The French girl then pondered for a moment and asked, "Who told you about that though - about the school's plans and all?"

Just as Michi was about to speak, a stronger breeze than usual blew by the two. Elise shielded herself from the wind while Michi lowered her head and winced in the midst of the forceful tide of pink. When the wind settled, the sound of sure footsteps approaching them reached the two girls' ears and caught their attention. The regal figure of Homura Akemi then appeared before them, coming from the threshold of the school gates. Homura's long, black hair and the thin red ribbon she wore swayed gracefully in the wind as her deep, purple eyes met with Michi's. A confident smile formed on her lips as she greeted,

"Good morning, Michi."

"Ah, Homura-san!" A delighted Michi greeted back with a respectful nod, "Good morning to you as well."

A warm, familiar atmosphere quickly formed around Michi and the sophomore before Elise's eyes and it didn't take long for the French girl to feel like a third wheel. 'They're already on first-name basis…' Elise thought as she watched their spirited exchange of pleasantries, 'Michi and this Homura girl…'. Just as this thought was floating around in her mind, Elise felt the sophomore's eyes finally turn to her.

"And you must be Michi's roommate." Homura smiled, giving an educated guess as she extended her hand, "My name is Homura Akemi and I'm a sophomore at Class 2-1." She then added a small, cordial smile for Elise as she added, "It's nice to meet you."

"Elise de Lamarliere." The French girl shook Homura's hand with a firm grip, her tone still gauging the person standing before her, "I'm an exchange student from Strassbourg, France and I will be joining Class 3-4."

"Well met, Duramayue-san." Homura acknowledged professionally, gently squeezing Elise's hand before parting, "I'm also a member of the exchange program committee, so if you need anything - anything at all - let me know. I'd be happy to help."

"Of course." Elise nodded appreciatively but kept the sophomore at arm's length, saying no more than what needed to be said.

"So with that aside," Homura then tucked a lock of her long, black hair behind her ear and revealed the distinctly bright, purple earring that she wore. The purple ornament subtly swayed, following the tune of the gentle spring breeze, and Homura's purple eyes met directly with Elise's as she said, "I hope the two of us can get along as well, Duramayue-san."

"O-of course…" Elise spoke with a sudden, rare stammer, "Thanks, Akemi-san."

That was strange, Elise thought, as her silver tongue was at a loss in the presence of this sophomore girl. Someway, somehow, the way that Homura carried herself reminded her of an Empress - the kind who carried more power than she let on, and the kind who always got her way. At the same time, there was an irresistible charm about her that pacified Elise's scrutiny and drew her in like the current of a river. Michi only met this Homura girl yesterday, Elise recalled, but the freshman was already captivated by her. The perfect posture and the bright glow of Homura Akemi's earring, however, whittled away the French girl's reservations. Then, when Homura smiled at her, Elise found herself wondering why she had been so averse in the first place.

The subtle tension on Elise's shoulders eased and the smile on Homura's lips grew sly.

"Well then," Homura changed the topic as she produced a pair of paper printouts and handed them to Michi and Elise, "since we're already here, let me show you two to the ceremony venue. This is your first time in the school, isn't it?"

"Is that alright, Homura-san?" Michi politely hesitated as she and her roommates took their printouts, "Today's your committee's big day after all, so you must have a lot to do." The freshman then wore a considerate, apologetic smile, "Besides, we don't want to impose on you."

"Oh, this is no problem at all." Homura reassured with a smile as she joined her hands behind her back and insisted, "I'm on the exchange program committee and the two of you are the school's guests, so it's my duty to lend you two a hand." The sophomore then ran a hand gracefully through her hair and added, "Plus, the three of us are friends now, aren't we?"

Homura's words drew a happy, thankful bow from Michi and a subdued yet earnest smile from Elise as they took up on the sophomore's offer. Homura turned around and the sly smile on her lips widened as she led them on through the gates and into the school grounds. Thus, their little tour of the school campus began.

"This is the school courtyard." Homura introduced as they paced through a field of terracotta tiles flanked by sprawling patches of green summer grass and formations of pink cherry blossom trees. The blades of grass and the crowns of the trees swayed in the gentle breeze, waving as Homura and her guests passed by, "It's the largest part of the school and, unsurprisingly, it's the most popular. It's like a small park after all." The sophomore then chuckled as she thought about a certain red-haired spear-fighter eating apples comfortably under the shade of the trees, "Plus, it's a nice place to have lunch I suppose."

A large, outdoor digital notice board then came into view, housing a dozen formless screens that hovered nearby. The screens displayed a host of various things, from announcements from the exchange program committee to Greater Mitakihara municipality advisories to a heartwarming address from the school principal to the newcomers. Homura seemed rather fond and proud of the notice board somehow, going off on a short tangent as she explained how the formless screens worked but her explanation went over the top of Michi's and Elise's heads. The freshman and the senior simply chuckled, amused by Homura's enthusiasm.

When Homura finally managed to peel her attention away from the noticeboards, she turned to the largest building of the campus and introduced it to her guests. It was the main school building, Homura told them, a four story high building of tempered glass and steel that was featured in many a postcard of Mitakihara City. Michi and Elise had seen the outline of the main school building as they approached, but were thoroughly impressed once they saw it up close. The whole structure looked so fragile, the girls thought as they passed along the side of the picturesque building, and they wondered how it stood as firmly as it did.

"This building is tougher than it looks." Homura explained with an amused flourish as she sensed her guests' curiosity, "It may not look like it, but it's designed to withstand even the most violent Japanese earthquakes. As a matter of fact," The sophomore then wore a cryptic smile as she said, "should a disaster ever strike, it's one of the safest buildings in the whole city."

The Japanese sophomore and the French senior found that hard to believe, but Homura craftily changed the topic as she said,

"The _Hanasou_ dormitory where you two live was based off of the school building's design, didn't you notice?"

"I was just about to say that, actually…" Elise hummed as she gave the building an appraising look and saw her reflection off of the reinforced glass walls, "So the _Hanasou_ is like a small mirror of the school building then."

"You could say that, yes." Homura chuckled knowingly, turning her eyes up to the windows of the fourth floor library, "The way I see it, though…" The sophomore paused, then briefly imagined Mami Tomoe leisurely reading one of her usual hard-bound books on the Second World War in a soft armchair by the window and added, "this main school building is the older sister of the _Hanasou_."

Moving on, Homura led them underneath a glass bridge that connected the main school building to the auxiliary building. The auxiliary was where the faculty offices, the principal's office the student council room and the special subject rooms were, Homura explained with a passing gaze.

"I spend a lot of my time in the auxiliary, what with the sort of work that I do." Homura then added with a sigh, speaking in a distant, disinterested voice, "If I'm not in the classrooms, you can probably find me there."

She didn't seem to admire the auxiliary as much as the other places in the campus, Michi and Elise thought. Neither of them dared to ask about it however, nor did they get the chance to, as Homura picked up her pace until they cleared the bridge. The two newcomers turned to each other with a hint of concern before hurrying up themselves to catch up to their guide.

With the bridge and the auxiliary well behind them, the girls found their way to the school's sprawling sporting grounds. Tennis courts, basketball courts, a football pitch and a baseball diamond huddled harmoniously around a track-and-field oval along with rows upon rows of white bleachers and tall, white floodlight towers.

"There's a lot of different clubs the school offers." Homura advertised as they passed along the track-and-field oval, "We have a lot of sports teams and have a full range of martial arts programs." she then cast a knowing, sidelong glance at the newcomers and added, "We even have fencing and naginata-jutsu if ever you're interested."

The suggestion flew straight over Michi's and Elise's ears and Homura shrugged innocently before moving on. Then, once they passed the oval, they reached the school gymnasium and auditorium - their destination that morning.

Unlike the main school building and its auxiliary, the gymnasium was a sturdy-looking, well-aged structure of bricks with a classic barreled roof and a windowed gable in the shape of a half-moon. It had a certain rustic charm to it that struck a nostalgic chord with the newcomers, like a monument to a time long gone.

They reached the front double-doors of the auditorium before long and Homura turned to her two guests with a confident smile.

"This is our stop." Homura said as she stole a quick glance at the device she wore on her wrist, "Something came up so this is as far as I can take you. Everything else you need to know should be on your itineraries."

Michi and Elise briefly thanked their gracious host for the small tour and watched as Homura retraced their steps back to the main school building in a mild hurry.

"I wonder what happened." Michi wondered as the sophomore disappeared in the distance.

"She probably has some work to do." Elise said as she laid a hand on Michi's shoulder, "Come on - everyone else should already be inside."

The Japanese freshman turned her head to her roommate and conceded with a nod. Elise gave Michi a reassuring pat on the shoulder as they browsed through the itineraries that Homura gave them. The two roommates laid their hands on the double-doors and flooded out as they opened the doors together.

* * *

**Seventh Act - The Hanasou Girls**

When Michi and Elise stepped onto the polished hardwood floor of the gym auditorium, the five hundred or new students of the Mitakihara Junior High School were already gathered together in groups, large and small, before the elevated stage at the end of the hall - a sea of people chatting happily amongst themselves. Hundreds of rows of folding chairs were arranged in the hall, already arranged for the entrance ceremony in the midst of the sporadic crowd.

With itineraries in hand, Michi and Elise navigated through the sea of people to find their way to the their seats at the very front row. That was a task easier said than done, however, as the sea of new students was in constant flux, moving and shifting as if it had a mind of its own. In the ebb and flow of the crowd, it was hard for the two girls to keep track of their destination and the shore from where they came. That was a familiar feeling for her lately, Michi quietly lamented. She couldn't count the number of times she felt as if she were lost in a dark sea on a starless night.

It was at this time that Michi managed to find her way into a clearing in the crowd. She instinctively held Elise's hand and pulled her in from the sea as well. In that clearing, they found a smaller group of more than a dozen students, all of them foreign freshmen, gathered in a circle of their own, separate from the sporadic crowd. The small group seemed to gather around a pair of fourteen year-old girls - a fair-skinned German with short, curly hair that brushed against the back of her neck and a tan-skinned Filipina whose thick, albeit unruly, shoulder-length hair was adorned with a white, floral-patterned headband. The German and the Filipina caught Michi and Elise in the corners of their eyes and turned to them with delighted smiles.

"Ah, _wunderbar_! You made it!" The German broke free from her little group and happily approached the two of them, "We were starting to wonder where you two were!"

The Filipina promptly followed suit and had a pleasant expression about her, but her words were much less articulate, "Lorelei and I… glad you're here!"

"... sorry?" Michi was in a daze from the sudden greeting.

The German girl chuckled lightly then waved her hand apologetically. With a new, bright smile on her lips, she gave her introduction, "My name is Lorelei Sankt and I'm a transfer student from _Deutschland_. I'll be in Class 1-2."

"And my name's Ligaya." The Filipina added naturally with a friendly tone, "I'm a transfer student from the _Pilipinas_!" She then placed a hand on her hip and proudly said, "I'll be in Class 1-2 too!"

"The two of us are actually from the _Hanasou_ dorm as well - from the first floor." Lorelei then added, speaking pleasantly as she extended her hand, "We're going to be neighbors, so we thought we ought to meet you two."

"I see." Michi confusion fizzled and gave way to a gracious smile, "My name's Michi Hideyoshi and I came from Hokkaido, Japan." She firmly shook Lorelei's hand, then Ligaya, "It's nice to meet you two as well."

"Yeah!" Ligaya added, speaking a sliver of her native tongue in her excitement, " _Sana_ , I mean…" She promptly corrected herself and beamed as she said, "I hope we can get along, Hideyoshi-senpai!"

"Senpai?" Michi tilted her head as her hand lingered in Ligaya's.

"You are… third year student, _hindi ba?_ " Ligaya let go of Michi's hand and scratched the side of her head, "I mean, you are… third floor of dorm and…" The Filipina started to realize her mistake so her eyes strayed away from Michi's as she blushed, "and you seem so mature… like an _ate…_ I mean, a big sister!"

"Big sister, huh?" Michi chuckled lightheartedly before giving a fond, reminiscent sigh, "I'm just a freshman like the two of you."

"No way!" Ligaya gasped, thoroughly surprised.

The Japanese girl then smiled and showed Ligaya her paper itinerary as she said, "I'll be in Class 1-2 as well!"

" _Diyuskopo!_ Sorry!" The Filipina gritted her teeth and patted her cheek in apology, before continuing in her broken, albeit earnest Japanese "We're going to be classmate then!"

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to having class with the two of you." Michi smiled happily. She then took a step to the side to give way to her companion. Elise took the cue and came forward to introduce herself.

"And I'm Elise de Lamarliere from Strasbourg, France." The senior introduced herself with proper, refined politeness as she shook Ligaya's hand first. She then wore a more mellow smile, "Sadly, I'm not a freshman - I'll be joining Class 3-4 - but I am Michi's roommate, so I hope we can all get along."

' _My, my. First name basis already, huh?'_ Lorelei happily hummed as she shook Elise's hand this time. She then renewed her smile for the French girl and said, "I'm sure we'll get along, de Lamarliere."

A warm, friendly atmosphere quickly formed around the four girls of the _Hanasou_ dormitory as they all got acquainted with each other. It was a stark contrast to the sort of air that Elise felt when they met Homura earlier. The French girl felt calm and at ease around Lorelei and Ligaya and it wasn't hard to get to know them, or for her to tell them about herself at all. Minutes flew by in a heartbeat and the four of them were less like strangers and more like old friends reuniting for a new semester in school.

And so, when Kazuko Saotome and a cadre of student council members and volunteers entered to shepherd the sporadic crowd into orderly lines for the entrance ceremony, the four girls of the Hanasou bid each other farewell. Elise went over to join the ranks of the third year foreigners while Michi, Lorele and Ligaya were scattered by the alphabetical order of their surnames. All four of them joined river of people for their procession but did so with light hearts and smiles on their faces.

Swept into that river of strangers, however, an air of anxiety hung around her as freshmen and foreigners alike felt uneasy. For every excited newcomer gathered in the hall, there was one who hung his head low or pondered about their decision to move to and to study in Mitakihara. Homesickness mingled with fear in the hearts of those around Michi, even those who looked eager to get the ceremony started, and the Japanese freshman sensed this with acute sharpness. After all, deep in her heart, she too felt unease - just like everyone else.

Thus, with a searching heart, Michi took her place in the new order and joined the procession march.

* * *

**Second Interlude**

The clear chime of the distant town bell permeated the otherwise quiet skies over the Mitakihara Junior High School as the last streams of students and guests trickled into the large gym auditorium that afternoon. The shy voice of Kazuko Saotome from within the gym was broadcast on the school's PA system as she addressed the large crowd and started to get that year's grand entrance ceremony underway. Muffled applause spilled out from the gym auditorium, followed by the tune of _Kimi ga yo_ , the Japanese national anthem.

A handful of small, white, ferret-like creatures gathered around the bushes and shrubs near the gym auditorium, poking their heads out from behind the leaves to watch the ceremony from afar.

"Look brothers!" One of the Incubators said spitefully as he glared at the large, rustic building with piercing red eyes, "The devil and her puppets congregate in that structure over yonder. It is a field ripe with fruit and the time has come for us to harvest!" He then turned to the other Incubators in the group and asked, "Shall we begin?"

The other Incubators in the group acknowledged with focused, bitter expressions and they gathered around in a circle within the shrubs and lowered the ends of their long ears to the ground. Faint shimmers of dark light started to emanate from the ears planted on the ground and the earth itself seemed to stir. A trail of black energy rose up from the exhausts of the gym auditorium like smoke and wafted over to the group of Incubators and their circle of dark light. Ghastly murmurs accompanied the trail of black smoke, whispering the troubled thoughts of some of the newcomers to the school.

"I wonder if I will fit in here in Mitakihara."

"I'm so far away from home."

"I miss my mother… and my father…"

"Everyone's looking at me. I know they're looking at me…"

"Did I make the right decision coming here?"

"I want to go back home!"

"Anxiety…a fickle emotion." the spiteful Incubator hummed with intrigue as he listened to the words carried by the smoke, "The beasts will surely find this 'anxiety' to their liking."

As the creature curiously observed the wafting smoke, the injured Kyuubey and his docile brother appeared in the shade of the bush.

"Ah, the wounded one has come to join us." The spiteful Incubator's cryptic smile widened ever so slightly, "Have you come to see the great harvest?

"No." The injured Kyuubey said flatly, much to the circle of Incubators' confusion, "I come bearing words of caution instead." He glanced at the handful of Incubators gathered in a circle then turned to the spiteful creature with a firm tone, "I don't know what you hope to achieve with this meaningless act, but I see that you and your posse have made up your mind - so I will not stop you. Besides, it's already too late for that."

As the injured Kyuubey spoke, the tip of the trail of black smoke finally touched the circle of light and was sucked into the abyss, causing a chilling wind to blow.

"What kind of language is that, injured one?" The spiteful Incubator challenged, "You sound as if you don't want to overthrow the Devil!"

"Oh no, spiteful one." The injured Kyuubey demeaningly called out his brother, "I hate the Devil just as much as anyone of us here - and I would like nothing more than to see her suffer." A sly smile then formed on his lips, "But it doesn't take an intelligent species to recognize that what you are all about to do is an exercise in futility."

A myriad of monstrously large, sickly white hands and fingers started to appear all around the sporting grounds of the Mitakihara Junior High School, poking out from the earth, the terracotta tiles and the poured concrete. When the hands and the fingers had found their bearings, they painstakingly clawed their way out onto the ground, revealing their grotesque figures - deathly thin white creatures clad in white robes with distorted faces shrouded in pixelated static.

"We've opened up a rift right here in their school, injured one." The spiteful Incubator spat, "We'll have at least a hundred Wraiths emerge from the abyss within the hour!"

"And you think that that is enough to challenge the Devil who overthrew a Goddess and now rules this universe?" The injured Kyuubey snapped back, "All you will succeed in doing this afternoon is to earn her ire and to lose your lives!"

The spiteful Incubator and his circle looked at the injured Kyuubey with looks of disbelief and displeasure. Then, it was at this time that the mass of emerging Wraiths came face to face with peculiar objects - horizontally convex plastic objects painted in the same color as the terracotta tiles, daisy-chained by similar-colored wires and embossed with the phrase ' _FRONT TOWARD ENEMY'_.

The double doors of the gym auditorium opened and the regal figure of Homura Akemi emerged from the threshold. As the doors closed behind her, bright purple light surrounded her and swiftly transformed her school uniform into her Puella Magi attire. She then ran a hand dismissively through her hair and, in the same stroke, produced an M57 firing device and pulled the trigger.

The vast array of terracotta-painted M18A1 claymore mines all went off in quick succession, catching the faces of the emerging Wraiths in the blasts and peppering them with vicious volleys of steel balls. Then, without skipping a beat, Homura reached behind her silver shield and pulled out a Howa Type 89 assault rifle, swiftly set the selector to full automatic, then mercilessly unleashed another hail of lead at her reeling foes.

Then, from the barrel rooftop of the gym auditorium, another pair of bright lights - gold and red - this time shone and faded. The intimidating figures of the veteran gunner Mami Tomoe and the seasoned spear-fighter Kyouko Sakura hopped off together into the fray and flanked the struggling Wraiths. It was a laughably one-sided affair.

The spiteful Incubator and his circle were dazed and horrified as the terrifying Wraiths fell like flies before they could even fully materialize.

"Tactics such as these might have worked against Akemi, Tomoe and Sakura when they were still mere Puella Magi who hunted Wraiths for sustenance." The injured Kyuubey said knowingly as it watched the lopsided dance of battle play out in the school's sporting grounds, "However, I believe you lot have failed to realize the power that Akemi now wields." He then turned to his dazed brethren and said, "Wraiths, as things stand, are nothing more than paper tigers - and these paper tigers have sealed your fates."

As the injured Kyuubey spoke in the midst of the heavy fighting, the jarring sound of footsteps approached the Incubators and rang frighteningly clear in their ears. The branches rustled and were parted to the side, revealing the amiable face of the Mitakihara Junior High School student council president looking curiously down onto the the congregation. A murder of crows loomed overhead, flying in an intimidating circle of black above the bush.

"Ah, so this is where the troublemakers are!" The student council president smirked as she eyed the group of Incubators with her mischievous eyes, "We were wondering what all the commotion was about, and but this is quite a surprise!" One of the crows then swept down and perched on the back of the student council president's hand as she added with a menacing tone, "It's not good to make the mistress worry, noi!"

The pretty face of the student council president then started to distort into the look of a Clara doll and a long, black needle materialized in her free hand. A handful of student council members soon joined the transformed president with similar black needles in their hands and they loomed over the now defenseless Incubators.

The eleven Incubators all turned to the injured Kyuubey, hoping for some sort of answer. The injured creature's face, however, was covered under a heavy shadow. Then, to his brothers' utter surprise, the injured Kyuubey laid prostrate and before the transformed president and her lackeys and gave them a deeply apologetic bow.

A resounding round of applause then echoed from the gym auditorium, broadcast by the school's PA system, and the student council president reverted back to her human face with a sly smile on her lips.

"Round them up, boys and girls." The president gestured to her companions as they dissolved their black needles, "We'll leave the mistress to decide their fates, noi."

* * *

**Eighth Act - I'm Doing This For You**

With the flourish of a warm round of applause, the grand entrance ceremony of the Mitakihara Junior High School for 2088 came to a close. The veterans students in the bunch, the returning sophomores and seniors all filed out of the gym auditorium to make their way back to the main school building to prepare for third period. Many of the newcomers, on the other hand, had guests who came to watch the entrance ceremony and stayed behind to chat and take pictures with their loved ones all around the school grounds. Michi, Elise, Lorelei and Ligaya, the four girls of the _Hanasou_ , on the other hand, regrouped outside of the gym and walked together as their conversation carried on from where they had left off earlier.

"There's a lot of maintenance people roaming around all of the sudden." Lorelei hummed as she watched a handful of school custodians out in force and hard at work. Half a dozen of them were sweeping dirt off and picking up the trash from the terracotta tiles and poured concrete paths of the sporting grounds, making Lorelei wonder, "How did it get so dirty around here all of the sudden?"

"Maybe a strong wind blew by." Michi guessed as they went around the dusty parts of the path. She eyed the police helicopter loitering in the distance with passing interest before turning away.

"Or maybe… tank rolled through during ceremony!" Ligaya joked in her broken Japanese.

"Impossible." The other three waved their hands in disagreement, raining on Ligaya's parade.

Thus, none of the girls could solve the mystery or even make a guess that made much sense to any of them. The entrance ceremony was loud at times, but they should have heard something if anything big went on outside. However, the ceremony went on without a hitch. With the dirt-caked section of the terracotta tiles as their only clue, the girls lost interest and shrugged before moving on to a different topic - one of many that they would happily wrangle over all the way to the main school building.

The girls entered the main building together, changed into their indoor shoes at the shoe lockers together then made their to their classrooms together, all the while talking about anything and everything under the sun. Walking through the labyrinths of glass, the bright blue skies of spring and the soft white clouds could be seen through the walls-turned-windows. With the lighthearted chatter and the warm company of her new friends, Michi imagined the four of them walking amongst the clouds in that glass hall. It was a refreshing thought, but at the same time, stirred some curious feelings in the depths of her heart.

Michi had a dream once, she thought as she reminisced during their walk, a dream where she walked in the clouds with dear friends at her side. It was a lucid dream that felt absolutely real - so real that she could still remember the softness of the clouds and an air of excitement that hung about - an air of anticipation. In that dream and her friends were waiting, eagerly waiting for someone - but for who?

Long before an answer could dawn upon her, Michi and her friends reached a cylindrical stairwell with a large, spiral staircase to the upper floors. This was the fork in their path. Classroom 1-2, the homeroom of the three freshmen was further down the hall in the First Year Wing while Elise's class 3-4 was two flights up in the Third Year Wing.

"Well, I guess this goodbye for now, de Lamarliere." Lorelei said with a bittersweet smile, "We'll see you later."

Elise gave the freshmen an understanding nod then started her journey up the large spiral staircase.

"Come on then, let's go." Lorelei told her classmates now, brightening her smile with a little bit of effort, "Our classroom should be just down the hall."

"Wait a second." Michi halted, placed her hands together and gave her two classmates an apologetic bow, "I'm sorry you two, I just remembered something I needed to do."

"Something you needed to do?" Lorelei asked, tilting her head with a curious flourish.

"It's a long story, Sankuto-san." Michi tried to explain herself, "You see, a helpful sophomore showed me and Elise around the school earlier. She's part of the program committee and had to leave before we could properly thank her." She glanced at one of the formless screens and added, "We still have a lot of time before class starts, so I'll be back real quick. Besides…"

The Japanese freshman looked up to the spiral staircase Elise was climbing and, rather than say anything else, smiled warmly. Lorelei watched the bowing Michi and turned her eyes to Elise in the now distant steps as she hummed,

"I see, I see… that's an elaborate excuse, Hideyoshi-san." Lorelei wore a playful, catlike smirk on her lips that rattled the Japanese freshman a little, "If you wanted to accompany de Lamarliere, don't be shy and just say so!" She then patted Michi's shoulders encouragingly and said, "Go and do what you have to do - we still have time before class starts after all!"

Michi recovered her resolve and gave the German a quick, gracious nod, "Thank you, Sankuto-san."

She then nodded to Ligaya as well and hurried on back to the spiral staircase, going after Elise. Michi's footsteps echoed in the cylindrical stairwell, resonating in the superb, cathedral-like acoustics of the room and reached Elise's ear.

"... Michi?" Pleasant surprise was painted on Elise's face as she stopped and turned around to find the freshman climbing up the stairs towards her.

"I wanted to drop by the second floor for something." Michi explained as she stopped at Elise's side and smiled, "Plus, I guess I wanted to walk around a little bit more before class starts."

"Is that so…?" Elise hummed with amusement, "You're quite a wanderer, aren't you, Michi?"

"You could say that." Michi confessed with a chuckle as she laid a hand on the railings of the spiral staircase, "I'm rather fond of walking, you see. It's relaxing, for one, and it puts my mind at ease." She then glanced out the glass walls of the stairwell and saw the sprawling skyline of Mitakihara City and said, "With everything happening so fast, I need to slow down once in awhile and gather myself."

"I can see what you mean." Elise said, eyeing the skyline as well with a sympathetic gaze. She then turned to Michi and playfully asked, "Then, shall we gather ourselves together, Michi?"

Michi replied with a happy nod and the two of them continued their journey up the staircase together. Neither of them talked for the rest of the ascent as a comfortable silence prevailed around them, checkered by the conversation of their footsteps as they climbed. The two girls strode forward at the same pace as if matching each other's tempo was second nature to them or as if a common tune guided their steps. It was a remarkably pleasant stroll.

As the girls were approaching the second floor landing, though, they heard a third pair of footsteps passing up ahead with steady, calculated steps. A fourth pair of feet followed not far behind, with terribly hesitant and cautious steps.

"How does it feel to be back after all this time?" The distant voice of the third pair of steps echoed in the stairwell.

"Akemi-san?" Elise quietly mused, recognizing the tone of subdued confidence in the sophomore's voice. From what she and Michi could hear, the two pairs of feet were headed towards the connector bridge to the auxiliary building. It begged the two roommates to wonder what Homura and her companion were doing at that time and where exactly they were headed.

Then moments later, just before the steps came out of earshot, the fourth pair of feet managed to eke out a hastily put-together reply,

"Uhm… well… everything's so familiar… but also kind of different… somehow."

The voice was that of a sheepish and uncertain girl whose presence seemed forgettable in the midst of the regal Homura Akemi. However, there was something in that voice that struck Michi and Elise. The moment the two girls heard that voice they felt waves of nostalgia and relief flooding their hearts. There was no reason for them to feel that, they thought. Neither of them had seen this person, the fourth pair of feet, let alone met her.

Michi and Elise finally reached the second floor landing but Homura and her mysterious companion had long since left the cylindrical stairwell. Mild disappointment turned warped Elise's lips into a small frown that she dissolved with a short sigh.

"Well, I have to get going, Michi - my classroom's still upstairs after all." Elise managed to regain a part of her smile as she turned to her roommate, "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see you later Elise." Michi nodded and sent the French girl off with a smile. Thus, as Elise continued her climb up to the third floor, Michi left the stairwell and made her way to the connector bridge.

Michi walked through the second floor of the glass labyrinth at a faster pace than usual, following the trail of Homura's voice and that of her mysterious companion. There were no formless screens floating around on this floor, she thought, and there was not a single student council member to turn to for help either. Being alone in an unfamiliar place without any signs or directions put Michi on edge. The Japanese freshman never liked traveling without a map after all, so she considered turning back.

It was at that time, however, that a chill ran up Michi's spine. The glass labyrinth around her seemed to start to shift and change form like a mild illusion that grew more and more elaborate with each passing moment. Everything around her, from the the metal railings to the blue tiled floors and the reinforced glass, twisted in ways that could only have been possible in a dream. The freshman reflexively looked out the distorting panes and saw the soft white clouds in the sky turn thick grey and fly past at an unsettling place as if heaven itself was being tugged along in a cosmic torrent.

This can't be real, Michi mumbled, as absolute terror gripped at her heart, but she held onto the shifting railings and kept her feet on the ground. A strange, warm force kept her legs from buckling in fear, calling on her to press on down the shifting hall. Thus, the frightened freshman gathered what determination she could and willed herself forward towards the connector bridge.

Then, she heard a surprised gasp,

"H-Homura-chan!?"

It was the voice of the fourth pair of feet she heard earlier, Homura's reluctant companion, coming from the middle of the bridge. The strange shifting of the labyrinth started to settle down and the veil of fear over Michi's heart was slowly lifted. Michi regained her footing and crept forward, hugging the walls as she approached the connector bridge as she listened to the voice of Homura's companion,

"H-hey! What are you..!?"

"It's all right…" Homura's unusually tender voice replied with cryptic words, "You are exactly what you truly are."

"...eh?"

The companion's voice seemed lost and the dreamlike shifting of the labyrinth unravelled in an instant. Michi's hands were holding cool, solid metal railings again and her feet were planted firmly on smooth, blue tiles. The darkened clouds were light again and were sailing up above in their usual, leisurely pace - but none of that concerned Michi at the moment. When she poked her head out from the corner, she bore witness to a bewildering sight. There, in the middle of the connector bridge, Homura Akemi was holding her companion - a dazed, pink-haired girl - captive in a tight, passionate embrace from behind.

"Kaname Madoka." Homura spoke her companion's name with stiff formality, lowering her head as she now set her hands on this 'Madoka' girl's shoulders, "Do you treasure this world?" There was a desperate, almost fearful urgency in Homura's voice as she turned her companion to face her, "Do you consider stability and order to be more important than desire?"

"Well, I…" Madoka started with a stammer, but eked out an answer, "I-I do treasure it."

Unpleasant silence wrapped the connector bridge as the unsatisfied Homura kept her head low. Michi couldn't see the sophomore's purple eyes, but she could imagine them somehow - rattled and blank. The pink-haired companion gulped then elaborated her response,

"I guess… I guess I do think it's kinda bad to break _rules_ just because you feel like it."

"Is that so…" Homura sounded unhappy with the reply as she finally let go of Madoka's shoulders. She then brought a hand to the thin, red ribbon that she wore in her long, black hair and pulled on it, unraveling it, "Then I suppose someday, you will become my enemy as well."

The black-haired sophomore then paced forward and closed the distance between her and Madoka, startling the pink-haired girl.

"But I don't care." Homura said as she then started to tie Madoka's hair into high twintails with meticulous care, using her own red ribbon, "Because even then, I will continue to wish for a world wherein you will be happy."

Homura then stepped back, giving Madoka an appraising look from head to toe as she admired her handiwork. The pink-haired girl felt the new red ribbons in her hair and commented shyly,

"H-Homura-chan… uhm…"

A bittersweet smile then formed on Homura's lips.

"As I thought…" The beginnings of tears then formed in the corners of Homura's eyes, "They really do look better on you after all."

The black-haired sophomore then suddenly felt on edge. All this time, she felt the faint presence of someone watching them from behind the corner of a wall on the main building-side abutment. She wiped the tears in her eyes and glared at that direction, but there was nobody there. Michi had long since slipped away back into the main building and retreated to the stairwell, trying in vain to wrap her head around what it was that she just saw.

**To Be Continued**


	6. Largo

**Prologue**

_March 22, 2088 - Monday_

It was half past noon in Mitakihara City as soft, white clouds sailed lazily through the blue Spring skies. The busy workaday world of the bustling metropolis mellowed down to a comfortable lull as the reprieve of lunch finally came. In a busy, four-laned avenue in the eighth Mitakihara district, a trendy, amber-colored subcompact cruised along at a leisurely pace.

The subcompact was a curious sight, standing out from the sea of other cars that plied through the avenue - mostly Japanese-brand cars all barely more than a year old. It was a remarkable older model Ford in left-hand drive configuration with a signature California license plate that drew the attention of pedestrians and other motorists alike. More so than the car, however, what really drew people's attention was the fashionable American who sat behind the wheel. Her well-matched designer blouse and cardigan complemented her figure and mirrored the breezy, late Spring afternoon itself.

Smooth, uptempo jazz music from the Montgomery quartet's _Full House_ album played in the subcompact's radio, serenading Audrey as she made a turn into a service road and cruised along. The American watched the lines of cherry blossom trees that flanked the service road at both sides with an appreciative smile. She had been to San Francisco's _Japantown_ many times so cherry blossoms were no stranger to her - but to see them in force in Japan was a breathtaking sight for her.

Before long, she came upon the entrance to the parking lot of the Mitakihara Junior High School - her destination that afternoon. With a small sigh, she turned into the parking lot and started to look for a good spot. She found one, eventually, under the shade of a cherry blossom tree and beside a four-door Honda sedan.

When Audrey stepped out of her car, a gentle Spring breeze welcomed her with a caress and she regarded a most peculiar sight beneath the cherry blossom tree. A towering, hundred-and-eighty centimeter Eastern European girl with short, black hair in a bob wore a middle-of-the-line blazer with matching pants over a simple white dress shirt and was squatting inconspicuously behind the tree. 

The squatting giant's kindly dark blue eyes met with Audrey's light brown ones and the Eastern European flashed her a smile,

" _Dobroho dnia_ , Audrey _tovarysh!_ Fancy seeing you here in _Yaponiya_!" The girl greeted happily in a smooth mix of Ukrainian and English, "Come and sit! There's plenty of space here beneath the tree!"

"Don't you mean ' _come and squat_ '?" Audrey asked in English with a lighthearted chuckle and a familiar tone, "Good afternoon to you too, Serafina." The American then pointed to the back of her car and said, "I brought us lunch!"

"Ah, yes!" Serafina skillfully stood up from her squat and rubbed her hands together with hungry anticipation, "I've been waiting for this!"

The American nodded in agreement and fetched a tupperware in a basket in the backseat. She popped open the lid and the refreshing smell of toasty sourdough bread and the distinct smell of a certain cheese.

"Is that _bryndza_!?" Serafina's eyes widened with surprise, sniffing the strong smell of cheese as if it were the most captivating aroma in the world, " _O kurva!_ It is _bryndza_ cheese!" The Ukrainian gasped and turned to Audrey with complete disbelief, "I know you said you had a surprise for me, but I didn't expect this! Where did you get this stuff, _tovarysh!?"_

"The _Mirai 812_ mall, somewhere to the south of the eighth district." Audrey said with a proud smile as she glanced at her Wristcomm model-45, "A neighbor of mine in my new place told me about this place called the _World Delicatessen_ that has stuff from all over, so I checked it out a while ago. And, boy, my neighbor wasn't kidding!" She then offered the nearly drooling Ukrainian one of the sandwiches, "They even have authentic _San Fran_ sourdough fresh from the oven!"

"Sounds like a nice place to be in." Serafina hummed happily as she took one of the sandwiches, "Somewhere where they have everything, that is."

"Paradise." Audrey innocently said as she took a sandwich herself, "Or maybe, as close to paradise as we can get in a Japanese mega mall."

With that, the two young ladies took their spots beneath the cherry blossom tree and leaned against the trunk as they ate their simple, homemade lunch. They went through the sandwiches quickly and sighed after cleaning up the basket and dusting the crumbs off of their clothes. Just as they finished, the Ukrainian reached into her coat pocket and drew out a green packet of Hope Luxury cigarettes and passed it to the American. Audrey instinctively reached for the packet, but she stopped herself with a jerk.

"Hmm…? What's wrong, _tovarysh_?" Serafina asked, turning to Audrey as she shaked the packet, "It's your favorite brand - Hope Luxury!"

"I know, I know…" Audrey ruefully shook her head and wore an apologetic smile, "But I've stopped doing that, you see." She then brushed aside her ponytail and showed Serafina a small, transparent film the back of her neck, "I'm on nicotine patches now. I'm trying to quit."

"Is that so…?" Serafina hummed with intrigue before putting the packet back in her coat, "It's only been three months since we last saw each other and you've already started to change." The Ukrainian then chuckled as she also leaned against the cherry blossom tree and pointed at the patch on the back of Audrey's neck, "What brought that about, though?"

"Well… I'm not getting any younger, and I figured I ought to take better care of myself." Audrey chuckled as well, folding her arms and closing her eyes as she pressed her back against the tree and reminisced, "The little miss also asked me to… or rather, she made me promise to stop." The American then sighed as she added, "It's a bit of a stretch, but I guess you could say it's a new year's resolution of mine - and I'm planning on making good on that promise."

"The little miss was the one who talked you into it, huh?" Serafina smiled as she tried to picture Audrey's story in her head, "I can see that happening. That girl's a little bit shy, but she's got a caring heart." She then gave a lighthearted laugh and peeled herself off of the tree, "She takes after the boss, after all!"

"That she does, my friend - that she does." Audrey nodded in agreement as she took in a deep breath. She then turned to Serafina and asked, "Speaking of the boss and the little miss, you came here with them, right?"

"I did." Serafina confirmed, pointing to the four-seater sedan beside Audrey's car with her thumb, "Drove the whole family here as their chauffeur."

'That explains the outfit', Audrey thought as she eyed Serafina's coat and pants. She peeled herself off of the tree as well and asked, "So where's the boss and the others?"

"They're already inside the school's auditorium." Serafina explained, pointing to the lone, well-aged brick and mortar building in the campus, "The whole family went on ahead with the little miss to help get get settled down. I didn't want to intrude on their time together, so that's why I'm here and not there."

"The little miss does take a while to get used to new things though…" Audrey said with an understanding sigh. She then managed a small smile and said, "Let's not keep them waiting then!"

Thus, the two ladies strolled together into the school courtyard and made their way towards the school auditorium. All the while, a pair of strange-eyed crows watched the pair from the branches of the cherry blossom tree before taking flight.

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**Largo**

* * *

**Ninth Act - The Ladies of Elysian Fashion**

Walking through the courtyard of the Mitakihara Junior High School's pristine, park-like courtyard was a pleasant affair for Audrey as she and her Ukrainian friend took their time to stroll. All the while, the two ladies chatted, catching up with each other for the past three months they went their separate ways. Once the two of them got started, though, both of them felt as if they hadn't been separated at all - as if things hadn't changed.

As usual, Serafina had a host of intriguing stories from all over the world - from the horrifying traffic she faced in Shanghai to a snowstorm that trapped her in the airport in Montreal. She told her stories in her heavily accented English that, while sounding odd, still managed to carry the warmth and excitement of the young Ukrainian lady. It made it easy for Audrey to listen and imagine Serafina's stories vividly in her mind. The sheer number of stories that Serafina had too made listening a delightful affair.

That was one of the advantages of Serafina's job, Audrey mused. The Ukrainian was a junior logistics and supply chain officer at Elysian Fashion International and it was a job that brought her out into the world.

"It's not quite that glorious, Audrey - not at all!" Serafina laughed in spite of herself as she sensed Audrey's thoughts, "The 'junior officer' part is nothing more than a formality, I tell you. I feel more like a long-haul truck driver who occasionally gets to wear some nice clothes." The Ukrainian then heaved a sigh, "I also almost never have a say in where I go and when."

"I know how you feel… " Audrey folded her arms and nodded with agreement, "There's always a trade-off somewhere."

The American lady was a 'junior officer' herself in the very same company - but in a different department. Audrey was in Elysian Fashion's accounting department - a staple, stable job where she made reports that monotonously droned on and on about monotonous numbers and monotonous figures. She tried to explain her functions to Serafina once - Audrey bored herself halfway through and never quite got around to finishing the rest of it.

Despite that, Audrey was mindful enough to count her own blessings. After all, Serafina had it much harder than Audrey in more ways than one. When Serafina quickly fished out her cellphone - an old, beat-up manual Nokia smartphone that must have been older than the twenty-one year old Ukrainian herself - the sleek and fashionable Wristcomm model 45 device that Audrey wore reminded her just how much more fortunate she was. Someone who worked a single, comfortable 8-to-5 day job and can afford to get a Wristcomm model 45 and rent an upscale _maisonette_ in the sixth Mitakihara District, a really good part of town, like she did didn't have the right to complain - not in front of someone like Serafina.

"Money's good in Elysian Fashion." Serafina then started as she kept her ancient phone, "It's a multinational corporation with deep pockets - as far as I'm concerned - and they're generous about overtime and benefits and whatnot…" She then managed to wear a bright, confident smile for Audrey as she said, "What I really love about the company though are the people - after all, I made good friends like you in the field!"

Audrey smiled at the Ukrainian's remark, glad for the change in direction. She felt exactly the same way about the company after all. Meeting people like Serafina, someone from an entirely different walk of life from her, and becoming friends with her was nothing short of serendipity for her. When she stopped to think about it, however, the two of them were brought together by a person who took them both under their wing. When Audrey turned her eyes forward, she found that very same person standing comfortably under the shade of the connector bridge of the main and auxiliary school building.

There was no mistaking it, Audrey thought as she and Serafina approached figure in the shade. It was a woman clad in a pleasant, collared, rose-pink blouse with cream-colored pants and flats that matched her outfit and the terracotta tiles beneath her feet. The woman's pale-purple hair was short and practical but was adorned with a black, ribbon-shaped clip at the side. The way this woman stood with back straight and arms folded authoritatively was distinctly confident. Save for the peaceful, motherly clothes that she wore, the woman could have passed for mafia boss on maternal leave. The way Serafina spoke acted around her didn't help.

" _Doboho dnia,_ boss!" Serafina greeted the figure with a gleeful, youthful grin, "I brought the _Amerykans'ka_ like you asked."

If it weren't for the gentle giant's friendly aura, Serafina would have seemed like the woman's goon. That hasn't changed at all in the time they were away, Audrey noted with a chuckle. Thus, she wore a crafty smile and joined the act as they approached, greeting the woman with her best impression of _Al Pacino_ ,

"Good afternoon as well, boss!" Audrey respectfully tipped an imaginary fedora for the woman as she added, "I hope the _family_ is well!"

"Gosh, you two! Still calling me 'boss' after all this time!" The woman laughed, replying in remarkably good English as she stepped into the light to meet the two ladies halfway, "I've told you before, haven't I? 'Junko' is fine - 'Junko', my dear!"

"I know, I know. I'm just messing with you." Audrey chuckled as she came forward and hugged the woman, Junko Kaname, in a tight embrace, "It's good to see you again, Junko."

"It's good to see you too, Audrey." Junko happily returned the hug and smiled, "The family's doing great, so thanks for asking. We were extremely lucky, you see - we managed to buy back our old house in the seventh district, you see. That's helped settling back in Japan a whole lot easier for us." She then took a deep breath and sighed appreciatively, "The previous owner also kept the house clean and just as it was - not a picture frame out of place. She even kept my husband's tomato garden going!"

"Sounds like you had a great caretaker in your house." Audrey hummed with intrigue.

"I did, I did!" Junko nodded wholeheartedly, "It's a shame I didn't get to thank her properly before she left. Madoka wanted to say goodbye to her too…" The woman's lips crumpled into a complex frown, "but the caretaker disappeared. It was strange. Maybe she left the country or something."

Junko then shrugged and carried on, speaking in Japanese now,

"The house aside, I managed to get HR to sign Tatsuya-kun for daycare in the company's center." She then turned to the picturesque building of the Mitakihara Junior High School and smiled, "And an old friend of mine helped sign Madoka up for a big transfer program they had here in this school. That's why we're all here in the first place." She then turned her eyes to the kindly Ukrainian then to the eager American and laid a hand on each of their shoulders, "What's more, I have my two strongest teammates joining me in battle, so everything's falling into place."

"We're at your service, Junko _tovarysh!_ " Serafina gamely declared, blending her Ukrainian with Japanese this time around, "Just say the word and we'll do our best - you were the one who brought us together, after all." She then gently nudged the American beside her with an elbow, "Isn't that right, Audrey, _tovarysh_?"

"Haha, of course! Of course!" Audrey laughed in agreement, speaking in Japanese now as well. She then draped her arms around Junko and Serafina and bringing them closer to her in an embrace, "We'll get this company going again for sure!"

"Good to see the two of you so eager." Junko laughed happily as she also draped her arm around Audrey, "And I see the two of you learned your Japanese pretty quickly!"

"Well, we wouldn't have been able to land jobs in Japan without it." Audrey joked and stuck out her tongue.

"True, true, true!" Junko patted the backs of her two subordinates, "There's a lot that needs to be done in Elysian Fashion. Everyone in top management's saying that 2088 will be the year that will make or break our company." She turned to look at Serafina then at Audrey and said, "But with the two of you at my side again, I'm sure we'll get things going."

When the American finally let her captive colleagues loose, Junko stepped back and smiled at her two loyal ladies and said, "But let's save the shop talk for tomorrow, alright? It's Madoka's day today, and I want her to get her two favorite aunties' full attention today."

The confident lady's smile then grew mellow as she added, "Madoka's missed you both these past three months, after all."

...

With that, Junko shepherded her subordinates down the terracotta path and walked with them towards the school's brick-and-mortar auditorium. They reached the well-aged building and entered through the front double doors where they were ushered in by a handful of volunteers from the school's student council. No less than the council president herself accompanied the three and guided them through the maze of students, guests and chairs.

The auditorium hall was an scene full of anticipation as the two thousand-strong body of returning students and the hundreds of guests were already in their seats, waiting for the program to start. The student council president, however, was unfazed and navigated through the hall with the ladies with confident steps as if she knew the layout of the hall like the back of her hand. They soon reached the seats that the Kaname family had reserved- five seats on the front row of the guests, just behind the empty chairs for the incoming students joining the school. The council president then politely nodded to the ladies and excused herself to return to her duties.

"What a nice girl." Junko hummed innocently as she watched the council president disappear once more into the crowd, "She's as pretty as a doll too!"

The three ladies then continued on their course and found Junko's husband, the kindly yet firm Tomohisa Kaname, and their toddler Tatsuya already seated.

"Mama!" Tatsuya beamed from his father's lap as soon as the little boy found Junko, "Mama's back!"

"Yup, yup! Mama's back!" Junko returned her son's smile and gently picked him up from Tomohisa's lap, "And mama has a surprise for you, Tatsuya-kun - look!"

Junko carefully turned Tatsuya around in her arms then faced her two foreigner companions who waved at the toddler. Tatsuya's eyes brightened as soon as he saw them, "An-tee Fina! An-tee Oree!"

"Aha, it's little Tatsuya!" Audrey spoke with sweet flourish as she approached, "You still remember us - I'm glad! If you forgot about us, _an-tee oree_ would be sad, you know?"

"Ehehe, Tatsuya remember!" The toddler chattered adorably, basking in his aunties' attention as they humored him. Audrey, however, quickly cast a sidelong glance to Serafina and asked,

"Didn't you drive the family here?"

"Tatsuya was asleep like a little angel in the car, _tovarysh_!" Serafina explained with a chuckle, "So this is the first time he's seeing me too."

"Is that so?" Audrey hummed and turned to Tatsuya with a playful smirk as she said, "Well then, let's make sure that little Tatsuya's really really awake, huh?"

The American tickled the toddler who laughed and squirmed in Junko's arms, bringing a smile to everyone's lips. Just like that, Audrey and Serafina re-acquainted with the toddler in a heartbeat. The three ladies then took to their seats and Tatsuya sat obediently on his mother's lap.

It was at this time that the double doors of the auditorium swung open and , drawing the attention of the auditorium crowd. The toddler too turned his head towards the doors and pointed with excitement.

"Look, look!" Tatsuya tugged on the fabric of Junko's rose-pink blouse as he continued to point, "Madoka! Madoka!"

True enough, the newcomer students marched into the auditorium in two orderly lines with Madoka at the front of the pack. With a pair of yellow ribbons that tied her pink hair into pigtails, she walked alongside the student council president who helped them out just moments ago. Despite Madoka's position, though, she seemed to shrivel up in shyness as she tried to smile for everyone's anticipating eyes in the auditorium. 'Why am I the one in front?' she must be wondering, Audrey tried to guess. Judging by Madoka's fidgeting hands and slightly bowed head, Audrey knew she wasn't too far off.

The moment that Madoka passed by the front row of guests, however, she saw Audrey, Serafina and her family and the unease she felt lifted somewhat as she managed to wear a more reassuring smile.

"It's been a while." Madoka said as she gave the two foreigners a small wave.

Indeed it has, Audrey innocently thought as she and Serafina waved back. Three months ago, Audrey and Serafina parted with the Kaname family and went their separate ways after all - at least that was what Audrey, Serafina and everyone else could recall. The truth behind those words didn't occur to her then, so she just smiled at Madoka and watched her march on towards her seat before the stage.

Seeing Madoka's back inch further and further away, however, unsettled Audrey somehow and put her on edge. The yellow ribbons that trailed behind Madoka as she marched also seemed off to the American. 'Didn't she always wear white?' Audrey thought.

The American lady leaned back into her chair and sighed as she watched the rest of the newcomer students march with a little less interest than before. When the newcomers had all found their seats, the crowd applauded and the student council president climbed up the stage to led the crowd in singing the Japanese national anthem - Kimi ga yo. Audrey and Serafina stood out of respect but kept their hands at their sides and listened as the auditorium was filled with song.

The singing was a little bit flat, however, and an anxious air seemed to fill the auditorium hall as the anthem went on. The anxious singing came from the Japanese freshmen in the hall while the foreign freshmen stewed in anxious silence. Audrey felt that anxiety coming from the crowd slightly and sympathized. To be brought into a whole new place that they had to call home, Audrey would have felt the exact same way.

As Audrey pondered, she noticed some movement in the crowd. She caught a glimpse of a head of red hair and a head of golden hair slip through the crowd with a sense of urgency about them. Then, she saw the glint of a bright, purple earring along with long, regal locks of black hair flipped back and trailing towards the auditorium's front double doors.

The song came to an end before long and the anxious air dissipated slowly but surely. The student council president then handed the rest of the program to Kazuko Saotome before stepping down from the stage. The rest of the program then went on without a hitch. The student council president, however, and the flash of red, purple and black hair never returned to the auditorium and Audrey, Serafina and everyone else in the ceremony were none the wiser.

* * *

**First Interlude**

At a quarter past two, the ceremony came to a close and the thousand new Japanese freshmen and the handsful of foreigner transfer students were asked to stand up. The fresh new faces of the school were welcomed with warm rounds of applause from the audience that had gathered to see them. Elise de Lamarliere, one of the very few senior-year transfer students in the batch, watched the fanfare around her with a passive, disinterested expression. Formalities didn't appeal to the Strasbourg native, she thought as she folded her arms. Had the committee scrapped the ceremony and simply let students like herself introduce herself to class, Elise would have been happier. In her thoughts, she wasted half of her precious first day of school on pomp and circumstance she could have done without.

A quick glance at her wristwatch told her that there was still some time classes would truly begin for her and the newcomers. Unlike the other newcomers, Elise didn't have guests who accompanied her to Mitakihara, so she set her hands at her sides and thought of ways to kill the time. The very first thing that came to Elise's mind was to go and look for Michi, Lorelei and Ligaya, the other three members of their so-called 'Hanasou quartet', as if it were the most natural thing to do. She ended her deliberations with a decisive nod to herself then set off to look for her three new friends.

Elise's journey brought her to navigate through the still congested hall of the auditorium. Once again, the French transfer student found herself swimming against the chaotic currents of people going to and fro in the hall. She inched forward mindfully, pressing forward into gaps like water. Then, a lapse in judgement and a false step made her bump into a familiar face in the crowd - a girl with a golden fortissimo pin adorning her short, blue hair.

"Ah, sorry again, Miki-san." Elise apologized to the blue-haired girl with a courteous nod before greeting her with a polite, "Good afternoon."

The blue-haired girl looked at Elise with a puzzled look and tilted her head.

"It's me, Elise de Lamarliere. We met by the banks of the Mitakihara River last night, remember?" Elise tried to explain, finding a way to jog the sophomore's memory, "You told me about that art gallery exhibit and…"

Once again, the blue-haired girl grew more puzzled. Then, she gave a reply that rang chillingly clear in the midst of the din,

"I don't know you."

Elise blinked, overcome by disbelief. She looked at the blue-haired girl straight in the eyes, but it was true - the sophomore didn't recognize her at all. The only thing that Elise saw in those eyes was that she was standing in her way. So, Elise bit the bullet and gave the sophomore an apologetic bow,

"I'm sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else."

The sophomore gave a polite nod then went on her way, disappearing once more into the crowd. Pangs of disappointment swept through the French girl's heart. Thus, she too turned around and continued to search for her friends - this time, with the beginnings of clouds brewing over her.

* * *

**Tenth Act - Yank and Tovarysh**

Outside of the auditorium, as maintenance crews dutifully swept down the terracotta tiled path of dust and cherry blossoms, the masses of incoming freshmen and the handsful of foreign newcomers to the school gathered with their guests. There, they all took their spots with the picturesque school buildings of the Mitakihara Junior High School at their backs - the same ones featured in Kanagawa Prefecture promotional stamps and postcards - for their first pictures as students of the prestigious middle school.

Madoka Kaname and her family of four were part of that frantic, albeit happy crowd. The pink-haired girl smiled shyly as her parents stood proudly beside her. All the while, the excitable Tatsuya squirmed in Junko's arms as he tried to catch the odd, falling cherry blossom petal adrift in the wind. Serafina Larivenko was the family's energetic photographer, gesturing that the Kanames stand closer together as she held onto a camera-configured formless screen from Audrey's Wristcomm 45 device. Audrey, on the other hand, watched the scene with folded arms and a smile on her lips.

It was at this time that a plucky, bespectacled teacher appeared and approached the six of them - the very same teacher who was leading the entrance ceremony just minutes ago.

"Good afternoon!" The teacher greeted happily, drawing their attention. She then turned to the Kaname family's two foreigner guests and offered with a smile, "Would you like to take a picture together - with everyone?"

"Kazuko-oba…" Madoka started, but she stopped herself mid-sentence and fidgeted as she sheepishly corrected herself, "Ah, uhm… I mean, Saotome… sensei."

The plucky teacher's smile shone even more brightly as she said, "Good afternoon, Madoka-chan." She then extended her offer to her once more, "What do you say?"

Madoka beamed right back at the teacher and nodded, "If it's alright with you, sensei."

With that, Serafina handed the camera-configured screen over to the teacher as she and Audrey joined the Kanames in the frame. Madoka's smile, while still shy, became more heartfelt and the photograph turned out splendid, adorned with a light, gentle shower of cherry blossoms.

As the teacher was showing them the photo, the sly Junko Kaname snuck up behind her and caught her with a playful arm declaring, "Kazuko!"

"J-Junko…? Jeez…" Kazuko tried to complain, but she didn't seem to be resisting the Kaname matriarch at all, "You always do stuff like this!"

"Do I now?" Junko laughed as she pulled the teacher out of earshot where they continued their banter.

"The two of them seem close." Serafina commented as their confident boss and the plucky teacher had the liveliest of exchanges, "Junko- _tovarysh_ and that teacher."

"Ah, that's because Kazuko-obachan…" Madoka started to explain, but stopped herself halfway yet again to correct herself, "I mean… Saotome-sensei and my mother were schoolmates Mitakihara Junior High School all the way up to college." The pink-haired girl then smiled as she watched her mother and the teacher laugh together, "I think the two of them are more than just friends - they're like sisters."

"Sisters, huh?" Audrey hummed as the banter of the two continued in the distance, "I can see why you'd say that." She then turned to Madoka and smiled, "That's a good thing then! You'll have someone like Ms. Saotome as your homeroom teacher, right? You've already made a friend in class, then!"

"T-that's true…" Madoka smiled sheepishly, happy to have a family friend as her teacher. Then then turned to Audrey and Serafina, placed her hands together and smiled at them as she stammered appreciatively, "I-I… I'm also glad the t-two of you are here, auntie Audrey, auntie Serafina." The pink-haired girl's shoulders then drooped as she muttered in a somber tone, "I was really worried, you know… I was afraid that I wouldn't get to see the two of you ever again. I had a bad dream about it - you see… everyone was…"

Before Madoka could say any more, and before she realized it, Audrey had come forward and captured her in a warm, tight embrace.

"A-auntie Audrey?"

"We're here now with you, Madoka, aren't we?" Audrey then said tenderly as she patted the mat of pink hair in her arms, "There's no way in hell we'd leave you - that's our promise to you. So don't worry okay?"

Madoka paused before conceding a smile, returning Audrey's embrace and resting her head on the American's chest. She then muttered a small, "Mm."

"Say, auntie Audrey…" Madoka then said as the American finally let her go, "I was wondering…"

"Hmm?" Audrey hummed, smiling at the child expectantly. Seeing that smile made Madoka hesitate however, as if the words she wanted to say were scrambled in her mind. However, she never got the chance to as the school bells chimed from the PA systems and urged Madoka to go.

"It's alright, never mind." Madoka smiled for the time being. She bid goodbye to her family, hugging her father, kissing Tatsuya on his forehead then high-fiving her mother. When she turned to her two foreign aunties, she brought the two of them together in a glad embrace and earnestly repeated,

"I'm glad the two of your are here."

With that, Madoka hurried back and joined the stream of students into the main school building and disappeared behind the picturesque walls of glass. Just as Audrey and Serafina turned away, the voice of the teacher reached their ears,

"So the two of your are the 'aunties' that Madoka-chan and Junko have been talking about." The teacher said with a smile. She extended her hand to formally introduce herself, "My name is Kazuko Saotome."

"Audrey Burnham." The American firmly shook Kazuko's hand.

"Serafina Larivenko." The Ukrainian likewise shook the teacher's hand as well, "It's nice to meet you, Kazuko- _tovarysh!_ "

"Tovarysh?" Kazuko tilted her head innocently, "Hue…?"

"It's Ukrainian for 'comrade'." Serafina explained with a grin, "You're part of little Madoka's family after all, so you're a _tovarysh_ too!"

"Is that so?" I'm glad. The teacher smiled at the remark, "I wanted to meet the two of you today, you see." She gave a sidelong glance to the glass walls of the main school building where Madoka disappeared into and said, "I'm sure that Junko has told the two of you already - seeing how close you two are to the Kaname family. Madoka-chan… she's in a delicate stage of her life right now - middle school is the start of her transition into adulthood, so it's our duty as adults to guide her. Can I count on the two of you to guide her as well?"

'Duty as adults…' Audrey repeated the phrase in her mind, carefully chewing those words in thought. She turned to Serafina and saw that the Ukrainian too was wrestling with the thought of bearing that duty. Audrey could sense Serafina's thoughts - it wasn't because they didn't want to bear that duty at all. The question that haunted the two young ladies, however, was whether or not the two of them deserved to be entrusted with such a role.

Still, with the bespectacled teacher's eyes fixed on them, they would have to give their reply. Audrey knew that there was only one answer. She placed a gentle hand on Serafina's shoulder and spoke for the two of them,

"Of course. We'd like nothing more than to see little Madoka be happy."

Serafina gave a nod of agreement, standing by Audrey's words. The bespectacled teacher then looked at the pair of foreigners, giving them one last appraising look as she inspected them from head to toe. Then, she wore a satisfied smile as she said,

"That's good to know. Madoka-chan has some reliable aunties - I'm glad."

* * *

**Eleventh Act - Oh, How Nice It Could Have Been!**

At a quarter past two, the plucky teacher also bid farewell to the Kaname family and their guests that afternoon and made her way back into the main school building. Thus, Junko and her family prepared to go home. Tomohisa carried Tatsuya in his arms and Serafina put on a sharp chauffeur's hat that rounded out her uniform and they headed to the parking lot where the Kaname family's sedan was parked, but not before she waved to Audrey.

Audrey happily returned the gesture before turning to Junko who stayed behind with her there on the terracotta-tiled path.

"Thanks again for coming by on such short notice, Audrey." Junko spoke appreciatively, patting the American's shoulder with a gentle tap, "I'm sure you're still settling down in your new home in the Sixth District with the moving and all. My family and I haven't even gotten through half of the moving boxes ourselves, you see."

"It's no problem at all, Junko." Audrey reassured once more, "I was actually looking for something to do for the afternoon, so thanks for inviting me. I needed a break from opening boxes and arranging furniture after all."

"I know what you mean, hah!" Junko laughed in sympathy, "In that case, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I'd invite you to our house, but there's still a lot that needs to be done." She took a deep breath and gave a pensive sigh, "After today, we'll be diving back into Elysian Fashion - the first circle of hell itself and all of the crap that comes with it." She then turned to Audrey with an expectant smirk, "I'm pretty sure you, me and Serafina will need drinks come Friday."

"Knowing you, Junko, you'll need drinks every day." Audrey laughed.

"You know me too well!" Junko's laughter grew hearty, "The big presentation will be on Friday, though, so it'll be my treat. Besides, I want to show you and Serafina my usual place here in Mitakihara."

"I'll look forward to it then, Junko." Audrey nodded enthusiastically, "See you guys later."

Junko then excused herself and went on ahead to the parking lot where the sedan was waiting for her and Audrey found herself alone in the path. Audrey, however, stayed on the campus for a little while longer and wandered into the main school building. She wanted to look for a powder room to freshen up a little bit, but that was just an excuse to explore the picturesque building that had piqued her interest from the first time she saw it.

Vast, blue-tiled halls cordoned off by breathtaking labyrinths of smart-glass that varied from transparent to opaque and pristine walls of plaster white finish greeted the American as she discreetly entered the building. Placing her hands behind her back, she took slow mindful steps as she looked around the main school building. Then, she would close her eyes and imagine herself one decade younger than she was - as a thirteen year old girl going into middle school for the first time. She pictured herself with long hair in pigtails, wearing the cute uniform of the Mitakihara Junior High School and exploring the hall with eyes of childlike wonder.

'How wonderful that would be!' Audrey thought, praying and wishing that she could go back to those innocent times. Yet, when she opened her eyes, she was a twenty-three year old adult who wondered if she deserved to be called one at all. With that somber thought in mind, she slipped her hands into her pocket and carried on with a sigh.

Following the signs set on the walls and displayed on the floating screens in the halls, Audrey passed by the cylindrical stairwell and made her way to the first floor powder room - her original destination - where she was alone with herself. She got a good look at herself in the mirror, clad in the blouse and cardigan that she picked for herself earlier in the morning. There was a small bulge in the side pockets of the cardigan, drawing Audrey to fish out its contents - a twenty-pack of Hope Luxury Cigarettes that she hadn't touched since the new year. She popped open the packet and saw twelve cigarettes inside, along with a thin amber lighter.

Holding the cigarette packet in her hand, she remembered her conversation with Kazuko Saotome earlier,

"...she's in a delicate stage of her life right now - middle school is the start of her transition into adulthood… it's our duty as adults to guide her…" Audrey repeated those words with a troubled tone. She pulled out the amber lighter and absentmindedly flicked it with her thumb, sending sparks to fly before her eyes but lighting no flame as she muttered again, "Duty as adults…"

It took a mountain of effort to stop the idle act and to keep the lighter in the packet, and force of will to place the packet back in her cardigan pocket. She then heaved a heavy sigh, with beads of sweat that had formed over her brow. She wiped the dew with a paper napkin and stepped out of the powder room in haste, walking so quickly that she didn't hear hurried steps coming down the spiral staircase nearby. Before she knew it, she bumped into the source of those steps - a fourteen year old freshman from Hokkaido.

"Sorry…!" Audrey promptly apologized, giving the student a reflexive yet resolute nod.

The freshman, however, barely seemed to hear Audrey's apology as her eyes were looking out in the distance. From what Audrey could see, this freshman girl had seen something that she felt she shouldn't have seen and was at a loss as to why that was so. Still, the freshman managed to give Audrey a deep bow before carrying on down the hall to the First Year Wing in a rush without saying a word. Mystified herself, Audrey retraced her steps out of the school building and retreated to the driver's seat of her Ford subcompact.

"I'm such a mess." She lamented as she started the car and laid her hands on the wheel, lowering her head for a moment as she wrestled with her own thoughts. She saw that image of her junior high school self in her mind, but in tattered clothing and with a lit cigarette in her mouth. She raised her eyes and looked at herself in the rear view mirror and spoke to her reflection, as if trying to reassure herself, "I need to get my act together - at least for Madoka's sake."

Thus with that resolution, she pulled out of the parking lot and entered the service road from where she came, serenaded this time by the thoughtful notes of Thelonious Monk's Round Midnight. As she listened to the melody of the piano and the sax, even though it was only Monday, Audrey was already looking forward to that drink.

* * *

**Second Interlude**

In the abutment of the glass-walled connector bridge between the two ultramodern buildings of the Mitakihara Junior High School, the sound of purposeful footsteps resounded as the lone figure of Homura Akemi crossed the bridge towards the auxiliary building's side. In Homura's left hand, she held the two yellow ribbons that Madoka Kaname wore until just minutes ago while a heavy shadow hung over her eyes. That shadow, though weightless, pushed down on her shoulders and made her steps unnaturally heavy. Still, Homura pressed on down the chilly, empty halls of the auxiliary building.

Before long, Homura found her destination - the front door of the school's integrated science lab. From the opaque glass walls and the translucent glass doors, Homura could tell that the lights were off in the lab. Despite that, Homura heard voices and clatter coming from within - a hive of activity in a supposedly empty hall. Homura pocketed the yellow ribbons, took a deep breath like a ballerina gathering herself at the wings of the stage, then slid open the translucent door of the lab.

The sophomore stepped into the lab confidently, taking on a distinctly authoritative air with her feet marching to an authoritative tune. A small handful of students were assembled in the busy, albeit poorly-lit lab, rushing to and fro as they conducted all sorts of experiments with various instruments, tools and devices lined up on the counters. The students were clad in white lab coats that they wore over their school uniforms and had safety goggles set over their excited, mischievous eyes. More prominent than those, however, were the red student council armbands pinned to the sleeves of their white coats.

As Homura walked down towards the digital whiteboard at the end of the lab, she glanced at the 'experiments' that the student council members were conducting. There were beakers of corrosive chemicals, bunsen burners with clamps, high-powered fluorescence microscopes and set after set of what appeared to be tools for dissection.

One of the male student council members passed by Homura, heading in the opposite direction, pushed a metal cart down the hall covered in a bloody white sheet. The council member passed by the laboratory counters where his council-mates waited expectantly. There, he reached under the bloodied cloth with rubber-gloved hands and pulled out cold metal trays filled to the brim with the bodies of half-dead Incubators. The experimenters licked their lips with wicked delight as they received their trays and the integrated science lab quickly resembled a slaughterhouse rather than a place of science.

"Noi, noi, eine ist tot! Noi, noi! eine ist tot!" The student council members cheered as their 'experiments' got underway. Squealing, squirming and pleading from the Incubators filled the laboratory for a while, but those weak voices couldn't compete with the chanting of the vicious students. Before long, those weak voices were replaced by shrill shrieks of pain followed by inevitable silence. That macabre symphony of sounds brought a devilish smile to Homura's lips as she carried on to the whiteboard. There, the student council president was waiting for her.

"Good afternoon, Akemi-san - you grace us with your presence." The president placed a hand over her heart as she wholeheartedly bowed before the sophomore, "I have made the preparations as you asked, noi!"

The student council president stepped aside and showed a pair of Incubators whose limbs were tethered by surgical thread and whose eyes were and ears were forcibly kept open by metal clamps. It was the Injured Kyuubey and his reluctant brother, watching the brutal murders of their kin and hearing the macabre symphony against their will.

Homura brought her face to the level of the two tethered Incubators eyes and her devilish smile grew chillingly wide.

"So, how are you enjoying your 'gifts', Incubators?" Homura asked mockingly as she looked into their terrified eyes, "Has the concept of 'fear' sank into your collective consciousness yet?" The time-traveler then smirked menacingly, "Or has there been another interesting development brewing in your kind?"

"Human emotions…" the Injured Kyuubey managed to reply, though his voice was barely more than a croak, "those emotions you are forcing into me and my kind… they are mental diseases!"

"The very same mental diseases from which you harvest your entropy, Incubator." Homura spat spitefully. She placed her hands together like a ballerina and tilted her head as she challenged, "Isn't it in the nature of your kind to understand the entire process - from start to end? Then this should be a blessing to you."

"A blessing…!? How could this be a blessing!?" The second Incubator lamented, "This is a curse! A curse!"

"Of course it's a curse." Homura chuckled deviously, "Manifesting human emotions is the price you and your kind must pay to me for all the damage and suffering you've caused me."

"Reparations, then?" The Injured Kyuubey growled, his furious red eyes following Homura's purple ones, "Are you referencing the 1951 treaty?"

"If you wish to call it that, then yes - these are reparations." Homura hummed with amusement, "But the 1951 treaty, the Treaty of Peace With Japan, is an entirely different thing from the kind of arrangement we have now." The time-traveler spoke academically, thoroughly knowledgeable on the subject, "I never said that I've made peace with you Incubators, after all, and I haven't made my demands - so this is hardly a 'peace treaty'."

The time-traveler then smirked again, "If I were to make a more appropriate reference… it would have to be the Nuremburg trials. Twenty one out of twenty four accused sentenced to death." She then slowed down and spoke with cruel emphasis, "Sadly for you, I am not so kind. After all, there's no need to be 'humane' with creatures like you."

Tongues of flame shot forth from bunsen burners behind Homura's back and the two tethered Incubators watched with horror as their helpless brothers were charred black in the fire. All the while, the student council members chanted their eerie tune,

"Noi, noi! Eine ist tot!"

The time-traveler then stepped forward and pinched the brow of the Injured Incubator as she spoke with finality, "I want you and your reluctant brother to know that I can make all of this suffering go away - but only if you give me what I ask. Death will be sweeter than the sort of hell I can put you all through, after all." Homura let go and turned away, "You already know my demands. Think it through, won't you?"

The time-traveler then turned to the laboratory-turned-slaughterhouse and the maddened revelry of the student council members and added, "Until I get a favorable answer… these 'trials' of ours will have to continue."

* * *

**Twelfth Act - Workaday World**

_March 26, 2088 - Friday_

It was a quarter to eight in the morning when the sleek, four-door sedan of the Kaname family - the new eighth generation Honda Grace just a week fresh from the dealership - rolled peacefully down the service road to the Mitakihara Junior High School. Serafina Larivenko sat behind the wheel, clad in her full chauffeur's attire, nodding her head in rhythm to the Beatles' 'Back in the USSR' that played on the car's radio. The Ukrainian's two passengers, Madoka in the back seat and Junko Kaname in the passenger's, happily sang the old English rock song together with Serafina in perfect sync.

The song came to an end and the trio laughed heartily in the car as they came to a halt at a red light on the way. Serafina stole an observant glance at the rear-view mirror and saw Madoka's smiling face.

When Serafina first drove Madoka and her family to the school for the entrance ceremony, she felt an air of tension that hung over the head of the pink-haired girl. Madoka must have been anxious, Serafina thought. The little girl had always been timid, even during their time in the United States, but there was a different hue to Madoka's anxiety when she stepped into Mitakihara - her old hometown - once more. To see a more lighthearted Madoka made Serafina happy, yet curious.

"So, how has school been, _dynya*_?" Serafina probed as the green light let her move forward again, "You seem to be in a good mood."

" _Dynya_ , again?" Madoka chuckled at the old nickname, but wore an appreciative smile as she replied, "School has been great, auntie Serafina. Saotome-sensei is a little overprotective sometimes, but she has been helping me a lot! My classmates are all very nice, and Hitomi-chan and Kyousuke-kun from elementary school are there too!" The pink-haired girl paused thoughtfully, then placed her hands together as she added, "I also made a whole lot of other friends too!"

Madoka chimed on about the new friends she made in school in lively detail - from the aloof yet caring Homura Akemi, to the motherly upperclassman Mami Tomoe, to the hungry delinquent Kyouko Sakura. After only a handful of days, Madoka had already managed to settle in to her new school, it seemed. Madoka was even starting to be a little bit more daring - wearing thin red ribbons instead of her usual yellow ones. Serafina adjusted her hat, gave a relieved sigh then continued on down the service road.

Serafina drove the Honda Grace into the parking lot of Madoka's school and the pink-haired girl stepped out of the car with a thankful smile. Just before she closed the door, though, Madoka grew embarrassed and added,

"I'll be going to Mami-senpai's house after school today for tea and cakes." Madoka fidgeted, bringing her fingers together as she continued, "I-I'll be home by eight though!"

"How are you getting home?" Junko turned to her daughter from her seat and asked.

"I'm taking a bus from Mami-senpai's place." Madoka explained, "Homura-chan said she'll walk me home."

"Akemi-san, was it?" Junko hummed, "You mean Kazuko's favorite student?" The Kaname matriarch smiled, "You'll be in good hands then."

"Does that mean…" Madoka's face illuminated.

"Of course!" Junko grinned approvingly, "Just be sure to be home by eight like you said." She then pointed to her daughter's wrist and reminded, "Also, keep your phone on just in case!"

Madoka glanced at the brand new WristComm model 88 that she wore then obediently nodded to her mother, "Mm."

With that, Madoka closed the door behind her and trotted on down the terracotta path to the main school building. Serafina watched Madoka's back grow further and further away, then she noticed the thin red ribbons that Madoka was wearing in her hair again. They really do suit her, she thought.

Serafina wore an admiring smile then drove on out of the school parking lot where she passed by a peculiar vehicle - a Mitakihara City police cruiser loaded with two white animal kennels in the back seat. The patrol officers who usually accompanied those cruisers, however, were nowhere to be found. Were they stopping to take a jingle, perhaps? The Ukrainian shrugged and got back to minding the road.

"Madoka's really doing her best, huh?" Junko hummed in her seat with her arms folded and her eyes serenely closed, "She's growing right before my eyes, that little girl." She chuckled and turned to Serafina, "That's why we adults have to try our best too."

Serafina gave Junko a wholehearted nod then drove them on to their destination that morning - the headquarters of Elysian Fashion Asia. She drove the Kaname family's Honda Grace through an elevated highway that took them over the Mitakihara River and gave them a stunning view of the metropolis' marvelous skyline growing around them like a forest of metal and glass.

"This entire district was under construction three years ago before we left…" Junko said as she looked out of her window with awe, "Look at it now - I don't recognize it anymore! Talk about urban sprawl."

Serafina stole glances at the skylines as she took the third exit off the highway into Mitakihara's ninth district where the forest of glass and metal turned into a dizzying labyrinth with walls that reflected the bright blue sky at every turn. In the midst of that labyrinth, they found the conical, twelve-story tower of cool blue glass that Elysian Fashion's Asia division called home.

"There was a time when our HQ was the tallest building in Mitakihara." Junko hummed as they pulled into the driveway, "Now, we're one of the smallest in the district - how the mighty have fallen, huh?" The Kaname matriarch then folded her arms as they found a spot, "But this our chance to turn our fortunes around - to change our fates, if you will."

"Change our fates, huh?" Serafina repeated with interest before she chuckled, "I'd be happy with a small raise."

The Kaname family's Honda Grace pulled into a parking spot that was near the elevator hall and the two ladies stepped out of the car. Not long after, a car pulled into the spot beside theirs - a distinct amber Ford subcompact with a California plate. The fashionable American, Audrey Burnham emerged from the left hand side of her vehicle, wearing well-matched clothes and her confident smile.

"The gang's all here, then." Audrey said as she fetched her suitcase from the passenger's seat and then closed the door behind her. She then raised up a small, amber suitcase for her teammates to see and grinned, "Shall we get started?"

"Someone's looking forward to that drink." Junko snickered at Audrey's eagerness.

"So what if I am?" Audrey chuckled.

"That's why I like you, dear!" Junko pulled down the taller American with one arm and hugged her endearingly, "I'm buying drinks for us three when we get through this circle of hell - so look forward to that."

"Yes, boss!" The two foreigners gamely nodded.

With that, the three ladies called an elevator and stepped inside.

"Elysian Fashion International, the mother company, has been going through some tough times lately." Junko said as she leaned against the translucent walls of the elevator on it's slow, almost thoughtful ascent, "We're a 188 year old company* and were the number one cosmetic company around, from long before the First World War all the way to just about decade ago." The matriarch folded her arms and glanced out of the rising glass box, her eyes fixed on the towering skyscrapers around their headquarters, "But the mother company plateaued hard and we got left behind in the dust. Now we're just a shadow of our former selves, looking for a way to crawl out of this hole we've dug ourselves into."

Junko's eyes then fell on her two teammates and she smiled, "This little project of ours is our way out - our stairway to heaven. And we'll get there together."

The elevator soon dinged and the doors slid open, flooding the glass box with the light of the late morning sun. Thus, the three ladies stepped into the halls of the twelfth floor.

…

At half past five in the evening, the supposedly silent fire escape stairwell of Elysian Fashion was disturbed by the heavy click and creak of the basement fire door, followed by two sets of heavy steps and a third set of lighter ones. Two husky male Mitakihara City patrol officers made their way up the spiral, minaret-like staircase with the two white animal kennels in hand. Walking closely behind them was the pretty-faced student council president of the Mitakihara Junior High School, humming an ominous tune that resounded in the cylindrical stairwell.

" _Wo ist eine lange nadel? Wo ist eine kurze nadel?_ "

The three odd figures climbed the staircase to the tune of the council president's tune. They climbed all the way from the basement to the rooftop of the Elysian Fashion headquarters. The police officers opened the stairwell door, set the kennels down on the ledge of the cylindrical building then opened the kennel doors.

"Step out of your cages, Incubators." The student council president commanded sternly as a wicked smile formed on her lips, "It's almost time."

A strong wind blew by the rooftop as the sun started to set over the Kasamino City skyline in the south-west and the two Incubators, the injured one and his reluctant brother, obliged.

"The mistress, in her benevolence, has promised you and your kind limited, petty liberties under constant supervision, injured one." The student council president declared like a judge citing a court sentence, "In return, you will swear loyalty to the mistress and provide her with your 'services' in undertakings of her choosing. You have agreed to this, noi?"

"I must do only what is necessary." The Injured Kyuubey spoke with cryptic stubbornness, "No more than that."

The student council president then produced a Beretta 82 pistol, cocked the slide crisply and pointed the barrel at the injured Kyuubey, "Then fulfill your side of the bargain."

* * *

**Third Interlude**

At a quarter to six in the evening, Junko Kaname's three-woman team huddled snugly in the cramped, twenty-square meter office of Junko's office on the twelfth floor of Elysian Fashion. The three ladies took their spots on the sparse furniture of the office, adding the finishing touches to their grand presentation.

"The Angel Collection." Junko said, reading the header of their presentation spiel off of the formless screen of her sleek WristComm 88 device. The boss of the team was sitting pretty on a cheap leatherette swivel chair before a simple pine wood desk stacked with papers, folders, a heavy duty stapler and a landline phone. She then turned to her two teammates with a tired albeit confident grin, "It's been a long time coming, ladies - this project of ours. It's three years in the making."

Audrey and Serafina who were seated together in a small, simple two-seater sofa at the corner of the office turned to their boss and agreed with confident nods. They then quickly got back to fine-tuning their work, Serafina working on an old, slim notebook computer on her lap and Audrey carefully reading the formless screen of her WristComm 45.

Not long after, the landline phone on Junko's desk buzzed. The boss of the team casually reached over and pressed a button on the terminal and a politely professional voice spoke,

"Kaname-san, Banham-san, Raribenko-san, the executive committee is ready for you now."

"Tell them we're on our way." Junko replied then pressed the button again, ending the call.

"It's showtime, ladies." Junko then turned to her two teammates and hoisted herself off of her swivel chair, "Stay sharp - we'll be in for quite a battle today."

The two foreigners took deep breaths to gather themselves then gave their boss dutiful nods. They arranged the stacks of paper on Junko's desk like an assembly line, arranging them and stapling sets neatly together. Then, with stapled sets of papers in hand, the three ladies headed out of the cramped office in single file and stepped into the circular hall of the twelfth floor.

The whole hall felt like an observation deck interspaced with offices, Audrey thought as she and her team walked on through. Watching the light of the setting sun slowly replaced by the lights of the sprawling metropolis, she wondered if their building's architect was reading Jeremy Bentham at the drawing boards. Then again, many buildings in Mitakihara had curious designs. For all she knew, those buildings may very well have had the same architect.

Soon enough, the three-woman team reached the double mahogany doors of the executive boardroom at the opposite end of the hall from Junko's office. As soon as they got there, though, the doors slowly creaked open and a dejected team of officers stepped out after their crestfallen boss.

"It's hell in there right now, Kaname-san. Extra spicy." The boss said as he passed Junko and her team on the way out, "Everyone in Mitakihara office has missed you, and top management knows what you and your team managed to pull off on San Francisco, but exe-comm's not taking any prisoners tonight. Not when the VP of Asia Division herself's in the hall."

"Wait, shit…" Junko gasped, troubled by her colleague's words, "Don't tell me VP Yukinoshita's in there with the committee!?"

The crestfallen boss gave Junko a weak nod then laid a hand on her shoulder as if to say, 'Good luck, you're gonna need it.'

He then carried on down the hall after his team with his head hanging low. Audrey and Serafina turned to their boss, Junko Kaname, to reassure themselves that their first presentation - a crucial presentation - would fare well. The two foreigners' boss, however was just as rattled as they were. Their fearless boss, apparently, had things that terrified her too and one of them was Elysian Fashion Asia's Vice President Yukinoshita.

Junko noticed the eyes of her troops fixed on her so she tried to reassure them, but the damage had already been done. Their abundant confidence from just moments ago was fizzling before their eyes, seeping from their pores in the sweat forming on their brows.

"Kaname-san." The professionally polite voice of the executive secretary, the same one who called Junko's office, brought them back to the present, "Please take your seats in the boardroom. Your turn will come soon."

"Let's go guys." Junko said firmly, rallying her troops as best as she could. She patted Audrey's and Serafina's shoulders then ushered them into the battlefield of the executive committee board room.

It was oddly cold in the boardroom, Audrey thought, feeling a chill run down her spine the moment the three of them stepped through the threshold. They walked quietly along the edge of the room and listened as the team of another one of Junko's colleagues was in the middle of their presentation. In the corner of her eye, Audrey saw the team presenting their project for approval before the committee members and the Vice President seated at the middle of the conference table.

The Vice President of the Asia Division had a chilling, unyielding air about her. Her hair greyed with age and her sharp, icy glare froze the room and made the line of seated committee members of aged men and women seem like a firing squad. When Audrey and her teammates found seats at the corner of the room to wait their turn, the American felt her hands tremble. There was something about that Vice President that unsettled her and put her on edge.

Then it happened. VP Yukinoshita interrupted the presenter with a raised pointer finger and silenced the entire boardroom. Once all eyes were turned to her, she started dismantling the presentation with cold logic and vicious pragmatism. The other committee members soon joined in, making their harsh comments and butchering the project before the presenters eyes. Watching all of this made Audrey's heart tremble as the committee members raised their voices.

"You spent years making this tripe!? It's not good enough!"

"You can't do that in this economy! You want us to waste more money on wishful thinking!?"

"This is unacceptable! You're wasting our time!"

The relentless barrage of criticism washed over Audrey like a frigid wave of fear, feeling as if those words were meant for her. The wave crashed and the scene around Audrey shifted into something else entirely. The executive committee conference room became the dining room in the Burnham family's ancestral home in New York. The committee members became oil paintings of the Burnham family patriarchs and matriarchs while Vice President Yukinoshita split into Audrey's parents. Then, the terrified presenter, on the other hand, turned into the frightened, fourteen year-old Audrey Burnham cowering in fear.

"You're just another mouth to feed, Audrey!"

"Why did we have such a useless daughter!?"

"If we had a son, we could have made him work too!"

"Cry, cry, cry! That's all you're good for!"

The battlefield of the boardroom, in the eye of Audrey's mind, became the last dinner of the Burnham family together - the evening when the fourteen year old Audrey ran away from home.

"Hey, Audrey… what's wrong?" Junko turned to the American who had fallen awfully silent in her seat. There was a shadow forming over Audrey's eyes and her hands were trembling, stoking Junko's worry. She reached over to the American's shoulder, but Audrey promptly stood up, excused herself and lumbered out of the executive boardroom.

"Audrey- _tovarysh_!" Serafina suppressed her cry as she scampered out of the boardroom after the American. Junko rose up from her seat, trying to stop her troops but they had already gone off on their own. There was nothing she could do for them then, she realized, and she didn't want to cause any more commotion. Thus, Junko stayed in her seat, resting her hope on Serafina to help Audrey.

Vice President Yukinoshita, on the other hand, watched quiet scramble out of the board room and a wicked smile formed on her wrinkled lips before she returned her attention to the presenters across the table.

...

Serafina quietly snuck out of the boardroom and, once she made it to the hall, found Audrey making a beeline for the women's bathroom. She ran after the American and stormed into the bathroom where she found a dazed, terrified Audrey hiding in one of the stalls.

"Audrey- _tovarysh_ , what's gotten into you!?" Serafina asked, hearing her own heart beating in her ears, "Is something wrong?"

"P-please lemme stay on this train, miss…" Audrey pleaded in a dazed voice, speaking slurred, unrefined English that was so unlike her, "I wanna go west - as far west as I can get! I don't wanna go back!"

"Train? West…?" Serafina's brow crumpled, "What are you talking about, _tovarysh_!?"

In the midst of that stalemate, Serafina saw thick, grey fog forming outside the bathroom window in the corner of her eye and she felt a chilling presence around. She could feel fear brewing in her heart, drawn to that chilling presence that hung about.

"What the hell is going on?" Serafina's heart trembled in the midst of that presence, "This feels… familiar…"

* * *

**Epilogue**

A couple of blocks away from the Elysian Fashion headquarters, in a nondescript alley in the ninth district of Mitakihara, a lone, blue-haired sophomore of the Junior High School was walking aimlessly. Sayaka had a hand over her school bag and her free hand entrenched in her uniform's pockets as she trod down the alley at a snail's pace, listening to the sounds of her own footsteps echo in the empty labyrinth.

Paper moon lanterns that hung over the alley started to glow one after the other, casting their frail, wan light over Sayaka Miki as she passed them by. Blanketed by that light, a shadow formed over Sayaka's eyes as her mind swirled. Without thinking, she took a turn into an unfamiliar path and lost track of where she came from. Surrounded by paper moons hanging overhead, Sayaka Miki realized she had lost her way.

It was at this time that Sayaka heard a familiar tune - the Largo movement of Dvorak's 9th Symphony that resonated clearly in the alley. The music was soothing and serene and yet it put Sayaka on edge. Then, a chill ran up her spine.

A thick, grey fog wafted into the alleyway, pouring in like a great big, smoky tsunami coming ashore. In that mighty wave, Sayaka felt the presence of an odd being looking straight at her - a white being with a blank, distorted and pixelated face. Sayaka's face went white and she turned around and stumbled away as fast as her feet could take her, following the light of the paper moons as best as she could. The fog and the horrifying being behind it, however, relentlessly chased after her.

Running through the scantily-lit alley sent Sayaka's mind spinning in her head, struggling to make sense of what she was running from and where she wanted to go. The light of the paper moons above her grew dimmer and dimmer and Sayaka started to grow desperate. Then, just as she was about to give up, an airy voice spoke into her mind,

"Sayaka Miki-san, you're not safe here. Follow my directions."

"What the…?" Sayaka gasped. She looked around but saw no source of the voice.

"Now is not the time to doubt me, Sayaka Miki-san. Your life is in danger."

The long shadows loomed past her with an urgency that terrified her. Seeing no other course but to follow the voice in her head, she determined that she had gone mad, "... fine!" Sayaka conceded. The airy voice then promptly gave her directions, guiding her through the dying light of the alley of paper moons. Before long, Sayaka managed to miraculously shake off the fog from her trail.

Sayaka, panting now as she fought to catch her breath, leaned against the concrete wall of the nondescript alley. Underneath the light of a single paper moon, Sayaka took a deep breath and exhaled in relief. Then, from the shadows, the source of the airy voice revealed itself. It was a small, white, ferret-like creature with long ears, a plump tail and deep, round, red eyes. This creature looked ragged, however, as its fur was bedraggled and its body was marked from head to tail with scars and wounds.

"Greetings, Sayaka Miki-san." The creature greeted as the light of the paper moon revealed its scarred, enigmatic smile, "It's been a while."

**To Be Continued**


	7. Scherzo: Molto Vivace

**Prologue**

_March 26, 2088 - Friday_

"Good evening, Sayaka Miki-san." The injured Kyuubey greeted from the shadows as it stepped into the dim light of the paper moon hanging over Sayaka's head, "It's been a while."

In the grey, fog-swept alley in downtown Mitakihara, Sayaka Miki came face to face with the grotesque figure of the injured Kyuubey. The sight of the sorry, bedraggled creature made the winded Sayaka gasp in shock and spring back. Was this the creature that called her from the mist?

She was still catching her breath from her escape from the phantom in the mist just moments ago so she felt her heart skip a beat. That shock was enough to jog the sophomore's memory - so much so that she managed to remember the creature's name,

"... you're… Kyuubey?"

"I see your memories are still yours." The injured Kyuubey said as it wagged its battered tail and turned its round, red eyes to meet Sayaka's blue, "You remember my name and you recognized the Wraith behind the mist too. That's why you ran." The cryptic, observant smile on the creature's scarred lips then grew ever so slightly, "If you remembered that much, then you must surely remember the Puella Magi."

"Puella… Magi…" Sayaka spoke in a deepening daze, but the archaic, Latin noun rolled off her tongue smoothly with perfect annunciation. She then blinked, surprised by her own words - dumbfounded by how such a foreign title sounded so familiar. Her heart then started beating in her ears as fragments of memories floated around in her mind - memories of magic and horror, hope and despair. The veil of her innocence was coming undone.

"That's right, Miki-san - Puella Magi." Kyuubey confirmed, watching as the dazed Sayaka fought to put those fragments together in her mind, "They're magical girls who symbolized hope and fought against despair in exchange for a single wish."

Terror, fear and confusion gripped Sayaka's heart now and her head swam as she dared to look beyond the falling veil that once shrouded her mind's eye. Memories were flooding in, clear and vivid like the ebb and flow. Losing balance, she pressed her back against the concrete alley wall with a haunted expression on her face. Tears formed at the sides of her eyes and her brow crumpled in a combination of pain and fury.

She recalled what the creature seated before her and the rest of the creature's kin did before - every sickening, graphic detail of it all. Tears, sorrow, despair and terror surfaced from behind the veil and strangled the winded blue-haired girl, making it hard to breathe. Raw, unfettered emotion welled up in her heart and boiled over.

Sayaka's hands formed into shivering fists. All of her emotions that had been swept under the rug came bursting at the seams of her heart. Then, her tattered veil of innocence caught flame - flame that burned wildly in Sayaka's blue eyes. Of all the emotions that came to the surface, one of them came roaring to the fore - hatred. Absolute hatred.

Sayaka whipped her hand forward instinctively and, with a single subconscious thought, summoned a distinct cutlass saber that materialized before her eyes in a flash of powder blue light. The remnants of the innocent side of Sayaka's mind - still waking up from her slumber - was frightened by the blade that appeared out of thin air. The rest of Sayaka's heart, however, suspended her disbelief long ago and pushed her body to move on its own.

She caught the cutlass' handle and wielded the blade that she had wielded many times ago, feeling its familiar weight. Then, she slashed at the air in anger, pointed the tip of her blade at Kyuubey and roared the creature's true name, "INCUBATOR!"

The injured Kyuubey trembled oddly, jerkily dropping down and planting his face flat on the concrete pavement. It was almost as if the creature's body and mind were at odds with each other, unable to fully grasp the strange emotion it felt. That emotion - fear - gripped at the creature's very being. It was a sensation that was completely foreign to him and his kind just less than a week ago - a disease looked down upon in his society. That disease had manifested in him and his brothers alarmingly well.

"So this is… what it's like…" Kyuubey muttered to himself in a soft, trembling voice, "how they all felt…"

Sayaka watched the wretched creature lay prostrate before her with blank eyes, uninterested in Kyuubey's odd ramble. She raised her head menacingly, casting a shadow over her eyes and gave the creature her ultimatum,

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut you up, Incubator."

With his face still planted on the ground, the creature spoke, "B-because… because you and I… we have a common enemy."

"Common enemy?" Sayaka asked, raising a brow as she kept the point of her cutlass trained on the creature's forehead.

"You know who I'm talking about, "Kyuubey finally managed to reign in his fear and to raise his head. He then made eye contact with Sayaka once more, "Search your heart - you know the truth! You know the sins of Homura Akemi - the devil who took over this universe usurped your friend, Madoka Kaname!"

Sayaka's expression became grim at the mention of Madoka's name. This was blasphemy! To hear the Incubators speak her name in such a manner was blasphemy to Sayaka - the exemplar of Madoka's Archangels of the Silver Garden. That was the rank that Sayaka held after all, she recalled. But that rank she held bore little weight in that universe and the pain that stung her heart made that emptiness clear. She recalled Madoka's kind smile and the laughter they shared in times that seemed so far away from her now.

"You're really pissing me off right now." Sayaka scowled at the Incubator as she gripped her sword tightly, "You come here with your tail between your legs, skinned by the devil herself no less, and you expect me to forget all of the shit you put us through all those years to do you a favor - to fight your fight for you?" She raised her head, bringing the bangs of her hair to cast looming shadows over her eyes as she gritted her teeth menacingly, "Then you have the guts to bring Madoka into this - even though you know full well that YOU are the reason this whole mess happened!?"

"I don't expect you to ever change your opinion of us. That is something even I can surmise is already set in stone." Kyuubey tried to rationalize, "Still, we can offer you support, Sayaka Miki-san, and aid you in your struggle." The creature regained his composure as he managed to sit upright before the simmering Sayaka, "We Incubators are the ones who gave Puella Magi their powers after all, so naturally, we can augment them to suit your needs."

Sayaka quickly shot a venomous glare at Kyuubey and hissed, "Just like the 'Taint of the Dreadnaught' crap you bastards unleashed before?"

Tense silence fell upon the downtown alley as the dim light of the paper moon hanging above flickered ominously, obscuring Kyuubey's face as well as Sayaka's. Still, an unspoken parity remained as Sayaka glared menacingly into the red abyss of Kyuubey's eyes.

"You can doubt our intentions as much as you wish, Sayaka Miki-san, but the truth of the matter remains." The injured Kyuubey reasoned as the light flickered on, "The devil called Homura Akemi has taken over this universe and has taken you and your friends out of paradise - the Silver Garden. She has taken away your memories, split your friends apart and has your dear friend Madoka Kaname as her prized hostage." Kyuubey then watched his own reflection in the mirrors of Sayaka's eyes and asked, "What do you plan to do about it, Sayaka Miki-san?"

The thick, grey mist that snaked around the downtown alley shifted and swirled around Kyuubey and Sayaka and the light of the paper moon finally burned out. The tense silence prevailed, but Sayaka's sharp gaze was wavering as the weight of her situation dawned upon her. The mist then started to clear slowly but surely, revealing three brilliant glimmers of light behind the thinning grey veil - flashes of gold, red and purple.

"That's…" Sayaka said, recognizing those colors. She stepped through the mist veil and saw the scene of a battle raging in downtown Mitakihara. Three girls in colorful attires were leaping from the top of buildings against the evening wind, unleashing a fascinating display of magic as they fought against huge, lethargic, ethereal creatures with distorted, pixelated faces and lanky frames draped in white robes that congregated in the streets dozens of stories below.

"This is a Wraith hunt, Sayaka Miki-san - the same kind that Akemi-san, Tomoe-san and Sakura-san have been doing in Mitakihara since the Law of Cycles began." The injured creature explained as he sauntered over to Sayaka's side, wagging his tail as he witnessed the spectacle himself, "They had a lot of trouble fighting Wraiths in the beginning as you may recall, but they've gotten quite good at it. A team of three well-trained, hardened Puella Magi would have no trouble winning against this much."

Sayaka watched in contemplative silence as she followed Homura Akemi dashing through the starless night sky holding a Howa Type 89 assault rifle. Mami Tomoe and her magical rifled muskets and Kyouko Sakura and her flexible, modular spear followed closely behind the heavily armed time-traveler in tight formation, obediently following her every command.

The blue-haired sophomore's eyes widened as she watched the trio methodically execute Wraith after Wraith, peppering them with bullets and piercing them straight through with Kyouko's spear. It was a graceful ballet of destruction, danced to the tune of the conductor - Homura Akemi.

"Homura Akemi is the devil…" Sayaka spoke softly, her voice punctured by disbelief, "Why are they… Mami-san and Kyouko…"

"Tomoe-san and Sakura-san are Akemi-san's most trusted allies." Kyuubey spoke knowingly as he watched the battle with intrigue, "The alliance of the three, or the 'Mitakihara Trio' as they called themselves, carried over from beyond the fall. The time and date may have wound back, but the three of them continued to grow closer uninterrupted as if nothing had changed." The creature wagged his tail as blasts of gunfire and crimson magic illuminated his face and the dark alley, "Homura Akemi was the one who brought that little team of theirs together, so Tomoe-san and Sakura-san respect her as their leader."

"Then why don't I tell them about what Homura did?" Sayaka gritted her teeth as her grip on her cutlass tightened, "I'll tell them about her sins, about what they've done to Madoka and the Silver Garden and…"

"Do you think they would believe you?" Kyuubey then turned to Sayaka, drawing a look of pained fury from the sophomore, "Homura Akemi wouldn't let you anywhere near her two allies, let alone talk them into fighting against her." The injured creature wagged his tail once more and said, "Homura Akemi is their leader, yes, but Tomoe-san's and Sakura-san's loyalty to Akemi-san runs much deeper than that. Even if you did manage to reach through to them, they wouldn't give you the time of day."

"How so?" Sayaka demanded.

"You are aware of the relationship that Tomoe-san and Sakura-san shared in the past, are you not?" Kyuubey asked and tilted his head, "Homura Akemi was the one who made the two of them settle their differences. She was the one who restored their friendship - and look how close they are now." The smile on Kyuubey's lips grew wider, "Tomoe-san and Sakura-san are practically family now - all thanks to Akemi-san."

A strong, lonely pang struck Sayaka's heart as Kyuubey's words sank into her mind.

"That sly bitch…" Sayaka cursed as she took a deep breath, "The transfer student has Mami and Kyouko wrapped around her ring finger, and neither of them know any better." She then dared to look at the trio fighting together in the distance, "And if I try to talk them out of this madness…"

"It'll look like you're tearing Tomoe-san and Sakura-san apart once more." Kyuubey spoke the words in Sayaka's mind for her, "You'll be the usurper, denying them the happy life that they now share, while Homura Akemi will be their savior. Perception is a dangerous game, and the devil is the master of it." The creature's round red eyes met with Sayaka's and added, "Do something drastic like that and you'll play right into her hands."

"Mami-san and Kyouko will fight at the transfer student's side no matter what I do." Sayaka returned Kyuubey's gaze with a rueful expression, "Is that what you're trying to say?"

The injured Kyuubey remained silent, letting Sayaka stew in her own thoughts as gold, red and purple lights flashed in the distance. A powerful blast lit up from afar and a bedraggled Wraith pockmarked with bullet wounds that had been sent flying from the battlefield sailed towards the alley threshold where Sayaka and Kyuubey stood. The sophomore reflexively raised her sword and her free hand to shield herself, but the battered Wraith burst into a cloud of black ash. A dozen black, glassy cubes then fell from the cloud as it dispersed, dropping down to the poured concrete at Sayaka's feet with hollow dings.

Sayaka lowered her arms then saw the twelve pieces - Grief Cubes that sustained a Puella Magi's magic - lying before her. She saw her own reflection in the cubes, looking back at her with a haunted look in her eyes - but at the same time, wisps of determination.

"You already know what it is you have to do, don't you, Sayaka Miki-san?" Kyuubey asked as it watched the thoughtful Sayaka fixated on her own reflection, "This isn't an undertaking you can do alone. You will need to gather allies to yourself and sustain yourself." The creature then stepped forward and watched the streak of purple light dashing in the distance, "My brothers and I will offer you as much help as we are capable of."

"I still don't trust you." Sayaka muttered blankly as she raised her cutlass. The blade of her sword then reflected the light of the half-moon hanging idly in the starless sky, "The devil is the devil, but you aren't a saint. Quite far from it."

"Whether or not we are saints does not matter to us. It's a foreign concept to us after all, this 'sainthood' you speak of. But our offer stands." Kyuubey insisted as it wagged its tail, its usually indifferent voice bearing traces of odd venom, "Our capabilities are not as strong as you once remembered it, Sayaka Miki-san, but we have observed the devil since her inception - and we will stop at nothing until the devil pays for her sins."

As the injured creature said this, a flock of odd-looking birds flew over the alley and a handful of black feathers floated down to the ground.

"I must cut our conversation short, Sayaka Miki-san." Kyuubey said cautiously, crouching as he tried to anticipate the birds movements, "I am not at the liberty to speak with you any longer - I am here on borrowed time after all and so are you. We will speak again."

When the flock of birds came to pass, the injured Kyuubey scampered off into the darkness of the alley. Sayaka dissolved her sword and turned her attention back to the twelve Grief Cubes scattered on the ground. Sayaka knelt down and mindfully picked up the twelve pieces and looked at them gathered in the palm of her hand.

"Gather allies to myself, huh…?" Sayaka said with a furrowed brow, clenching her hand into a fist, "That's easier said than done, Incubator."

She dropped the twelve Grief Cubes into the pocket of her uniform then looked up to the half moon hanging above the twelve-story tower of the Elysian Fashion Asia headquarters. Her eyes then grew sharp as she said,

"Madoka… what would you do at a time like this?"

**…**

Meanwhile, on the twelfth floor of the ultramodern glass minaret of the Elysian Fashion headquarters, Serafina Larivenko stood tensely in the powder room that Audrey Burnham had run off into. The often cool and composed American was swept by an inexplicable delirium as she took off and took refuge inside a toilet stall. In Serafina's eyes, it was as if a bad spirit had draped over her friend.

"Hey, _tovarysh_?"

"S-stay away!" Audrey cried in a fit of childlike fear. It was a far cry from her well-articulated words and sharp, witty responses, Serafina thought. Audrey was speaking English as she rambled, but her breezy west coast accent had been replaced by a stiffer New York one and she was making less and less sense with each passing moment.

"P-please let me stay in the train!" Audrey begged Serafina from behind the toilet stall door, "Take me west! As far away from this hell on earth!"

"What are you talking about, _tovarysh!_?" Serafina asked with grave concern, "Come on, snap out of it!"

The Ukrainian knocked loudly on the door of the toilet stall to try and shake her coworker out of her fit. When she did, however, the stall door creaked open - it was unlocked. This was her chance.

Serafina pushed the door open wide open before Audrey could react and then stormed into the cramped bathroom stall. There, she found the American look up to her with tears forming in her eyes in one moment before turning into irritable anger in the next.

"F-fuck you! I-I'm not going back there!" Audrey cursed and stuttered, raw unfiltered emotions spewing from her trembling lips "S-stay away from me! I hate you!"

Audrey's harsh words and violent attitude made Serafina flinch, but she stood firm and kept a mindful eye on the American.

'Audrey- _tovarysh_ 's angry and anxious… terribly so…' Serafina swiftly diagnosed in her mind, with time slowing around her as she racked her brain and as her heart throbbed in her own fear. Then, she noticed the bulge of a thin square packet in the breast pocket of the American's white blouse. The Ukrainian's eyes brightened as she gasped, "This has to be…!"

In a quick motion, Serafina closed the distance and pinned the American down with her left arm. Audrey tried to push back, but Serafina was a strong, unwielding giant whose strength kept her locked in place. In the midst of their scuffle, Serafina snuck her free hand deftly into the breast pocket of Audrey's blouse and pulled out the thin square packet - a packet of nicotine patches.

Serafina opened the packet skillfully with one hand, peeled the patch off of the container then planted the patch firmly on the back of Audrey's neck. Audrey was stunned, still not sure of what was going on. Then, the Ukrainian pulled back the arm that held her down before wrapping the American tightly in a warm embrace.

"What the…?" Audrey was dazed, but the Ukrainian wouldn't let her go. Then, before long, she finally started to calm down and find her bearings.

Once Audrey had stopped struggling, Serafina broke off from the hug and smiled at her and asked, "Feeling better now, _tovarysh_?"

Audrey took a while to realize what was going on, wrapped in Serafina's arms in a silent daze. When she finally put the pieces together, Audrey's face was flushed red and sheepishly pulled away from the Ukrainian.

"H-hey… your face is too close…!"

The Ukrainian felt her face grow warm too and she too retracted her head. But more than anything else, a wave of relief came upon her. Seeing color return to Audrey's previously pale, frightened face and hearing the American's usual warm and lively voice brought a smile to Serafina's lips. Without a second thought, Serafina embraced the American tightly once more.

"Hey, hey, don't scare me like that _tovarysh_!" Serafina laughed as she squeezed Audrey before growing into a mellower tone, "If there's anything bothering you at all - whether it's about trains or 'going west' or anything at all… you don't have to keep it all to yourself." She then patted Audrey's head of soft, brown hair and said, "Junko- _tovarysh_ is here for us, and I'm here for you too."

Audrey didn't resist this time around. Instead, she rested her head on the Ukrainian's strong shoulder and muttered a tired yet earnest, "Thanks."

Just like that, Serafina helped Audrey back up to her feet and they stepped out of the stall together.

"If I might ask… what was that stuff about trains and going west, though, _tovarysh_?" Serafina asked as she arranged the crumpled collar of her colleague's blouse, "You seemed really troubled by it."

"About that…" Audrey started to speak, but she didn't know how to continue. She combed the ruffled bangs of her light brown hair with her manicured hands before the mirror as she tried to think, "It's kinda hard to explain, Serafina." She then heaved a heavy sigh and turned to her colleague, "Let's just say I have a lot of baggage from home - from way back when."

"You'll tell us about it someday though, won't you?" Serafina asked, offering the packet of nicotine patches back to its rightful owner, "Like I said, we're here for you."

"If we get through this presentation alive, I'll tell you all about it." Audrey took the packet and regained her confident mug, "Though you'd need a whiskey or two to loosen my lips, Serafina."

The Ukrianian chuckled and put a hand on her hip.

"That's more like it! I was going to ask if you were still up to presenting tonight, but I guess I got my answer." She then beamed at Audrey and asked, "Shall we cross the Volga then, _tovarysh_?"

Audrey smiled back and then extended a clenched fist to Serafina. The two ladies then bumped fists and made their way out of the powder room. On their way out, however, Audrey felt a slight chill run up her spine. The AC in their office building was blowing stronger than usual, the American thought as she eyed the air vents on the ceiling blowing a tad bit harder than usual. Condensation was forming on the frosted windows of the powder room, blurring what little she could see of the foggy evening skyline of Mitakihara. The American instinctively wrapped her arms around herself to try and stave off of the cold and it was then that she had an uncomfortable thought. She felt something watching her - looking straight at her - through the blurred, frosted glass and through the thick veil of fog.

A towering Wraith was standing beyond the window, looking at Audrey straight in the eye with a hungry gaze. Audrey, on the other hand, saw nothing but fog - and a dull pain she couldn't understand was looming over her yet again.

"Hey, _tovarysh_ , what's keeping you?" Serafina called, patting Audrey's shoulder.

Serafina's voice snapped Audrey back to the present and gave her a start. She then hurried out of the powder room, stealing one last glance of the foggy window before she caught up with Serafina. The two of them then made their way back to the twelfth floor's executive board room where their boss Junko was waiting for them.

Junko stood up from her seat in the corner of the room with a bright smile of relief as she gestured her troops to come forward with her. Vice President Yukinoshita's sharp eyes followed Audrey and Serafina as they and their boss distributed sets of paper printouts to the executive board.

"The last item on tonight's agenda… is the project of Junko Kaname, Audrey Burnham and Serafina Larivenko." The Vice President announced in a formal tone as she read and glanced through the set of printouts laid before her. Junko and her team took their seats at the executive board table, opposite from the the Vice President and the members of the board and dug in their trenches. The Vice President eyed the three ladies in the hotseats, laid both of her hands on the table and said, "Very well then ladies, tell us about this plan of yours - about the 'Angel Collection', as you like to put it, _noi_?"

Junko Kaname took sidelong glances of her two teammates who nodded back to her with determined looks on their faces. Audrey Burnham, especially, seemed rather motivated. And so, as the fog outside the window thinned and gave way to the starless night sky, the presentation of Junko's team began.

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**Scherzo: Molto Vivace**

* * *

**Fourteenth Act - I'll Tell You Someday, I Promise**

_March 22, 2088 - Monday_

There it was again, Michi thought - the strange scene she saw at the connector bridge only a few days ago. From the abutment on the side of the main building, Michi poked her head out from behind the opaque glass wall and saw Homura Akemi, the helpful, admirable guide who took Michi under her wing, holding tightly onto a pink-haired girl. Michi remembered the tension that hung in the bridge as the pink-haired girl's yellow ribbons came undone and fell to the floor.

Michi saw Homura's desperate embrace and the pink-haired girl's absolute, albeit fearful surprise. The freshman couldn't blame her - she would have felt the same way in the pink haired girl's shoes. Michi heard Homura's heavy conversation with the girl and none of it made sense to her.

The voice of the pink-haired girl, a sophomore that Michi knew she had never met before in her life, called her to the connector bridge. It was a strange, warm voice that beckoned her to come to the scene of that puzzling embrace, but that voice never told Michi why she was led there. Then, as Michi dared to glance a second time, her light brown eyes very nearly met with Homura's purple. Michi retreated without a second thought, scampering out of the abutment as quickly as her feet would take her.

Then, Michi awoke in her bed in Room 308 in the Hanasou dormitory that Saturday morning in a cold sweat.

**…**

_March 27, 2088 - Saturday_

The Japanese freshman closed her eyes and tried to gather her thoughts as she recalled her vivid dream. It was a recollection of what she saw on Monday afternoon after the opening ceremony, Michi decided, but the scene hardly made any sense to her. She had mulled through what she saw over and over in the past few days and yet, all of it was still a mystery to her. She sighed then rested the back of her hand on her forehead.

A whole school week had passed by then, and Michi had yet to speak with the dark-haired sophomore she once unquestioningly admired. Michi wanted to talk to Homura Akemi, but at the same time, she didn't want to see that sophomore after what she saw. She didn't have the slightest clue of how to talk to Homura about it, nor did she know what to talk to Homura about. Her heart was in limbo, unable to decide what it was she wanted to do. Knowing that fact made her brow crumple - nearly as crumpled as the turquoise blue blanket that she only realized was no longer wrapped around her. Where did it go?

Michi rolled to her right and opened her eyes to find her blanket well beyond the turquoise domain of her bed. Instead, the blanket was well within the lilac territory of her roommate Elise's bed a full two meters away. Michi blinked. Did she manage to throw her blanket that far in her sleep?

Michi's eyes then fell on her roommate, the red-haired French girl who was seated comfortably in her bed as usual with her pillow propped up behind her back. A hard-bound copy of Victor Hugo's _Les Miserables_ lay in her soft, porcelain hands, illuminated by the rays of the morning sun flowing from the parted curtains beside her. Elise's sharp, ash-grey eyes noticed Michi stir and a small smirk formed on her lips.

"You're not a very good sleeper, are you, _mon ami_?" Elise spoke slyly, teasing her roommate as she grabbed Michi's blanket with her free hand.

Michi pouted in response, but she hopped off of her bed and reclaimed her blanket.

"And you always seem to wake up early, even on a Saturday." Michi tried to shoot back.

"I'll take that as a compliment, _merci_." Elise chuckled. Michi's pouting intensified, until the French girl continued, "I don't like staying asleep for too long, _mon ami_. I feel like I would be missing out." Elise then smiled warmly, "Wouldn't it be nice to see the sunrise _and_ the sunset everyday?"

Michi thought about it for a moment then replied with an agreeable smile, "That does sound nice."

"Isn't it?" Elise said happily as she closed her book and set it aside on her nightstand, "It's almost eight o'clock, so shall we have breakfast?"

Michi nodded, set down her folded blanket on top of her pillow then gave Elise an eager nod. With that, the two girls of the _Hanasou_ 's Room 308 started to go about their morning routines. Elise brushed her unruly hair back into its spectacular wavy volume while Michi meticulously tied her hair into a neat bun and tied it all together with her silver kanzashi pin. Elise watched Michi carefully go through the motions without missing a beat - it was like watching a Buddhist monk meditate, not that Buddhist monks had long straight hair like Michi's.

With that, Elise kept her hairbrush while Michi kept the small jewelry box that housed her pin and the two roommates ventured out of the room together. The two of them spoke easily as they climbed down the staircase down to the ground floor, their slow and mindful footsteps echoing in the rectangular stairwell.

They walked side by side and reminisced about the week that passed by, but it was mostly Elise who did the talking that morning. Michi listened intently as Elise recalled how her classmate twisted their tongues trying to pronounce her surname 'de Lamarliere'. They tried a few times before they all decided to call her 'Duramayue-san' instead.

"'Duramayue-san' is easier to say for us Japanese." Michi reasoned in a rare response as they walked into the second floor landing, " _Deramarieru_ is a little tough to say after all."

"You nearly had it that time, Michi." Elise said with an encouraging smile, "One of my classmates can pronounce it without breaking a sweat though. She's pretty good."

"Is she a foreigner?" Michi asked with a tilted head.

"No, she's Japanese too." Elise gently corrected, "I was very pleasantly surprised - she's got a good handle on the Romantic languages. I caught a glimpse of her notebook and she was writing phrases in Italian." The French girl hummed as she tried to recall those phrases, "I wonder what she uses those for."

"Who knows?" Michi shrugged, but a small smile remained on her lips.

"She is a very nice person, though." Elise then added with an earnest flourish, "I'll introduce you to her sometime."

"I'll look forward to that then, Elise." Michi gladly replied, and the two of them carried on.

That was good, Michi quietly thought as her roommate continued her stories. Elise was enjoying her new life in Mitakihara, just as Lorelei and Ligaya were in their own class 1-2. Michi was happy for her three new friends in the Hanasou, but at the same time, she felt a sense of discomfort. Michi was the only one who saw that strange embrace in the connector bridge and the strange warping of the hallways of their new school, it seemed. There was no one she could come to to talk about it - nobody except the very person she had been avoiding the past few days. Or perhaps...

Lost in her thoughts, Michi misjudged the last few steps of the staircase and stumbled forward in a frightening blink of an eye.

"... ah!"

Inertia viciously tugged the helpless fourteen year-old Michi's light frame forward as gravity pulled her down to the ground below. Michi jerked in fear, scrambling to shield herself from the fall, then she caught a glimpse of red, wavy hair dash ahead of her. Elise stepped forward and caught the flying Michi in her arms.

"Hey, hey, are you alright, _mon ami_?" Elise advised as she helped Michi stand upright on the last step, a look of concern etched on her face.

There was another person she could talk to, Michi finally thought as she planted her feet on the ground once more - and this was her chance to do so. This was her chance to tell Elise about what she saw in the connector bridge. If there was anyone else in this world who might believe, or at least listen politely to Michi's story, it would be Elise. Those words, however, were trapped in her throat, held back by a lingering thought that there was more to what she saw than some strange phenomenon. What's more, who was she to drag Elise into that abyss and deny her roommate - her closest friend - the happy life she was living now? That would be unfair.

Michi closed her eyes, took a breath and made her decision.

"I guess I'm just a little bit hungry, Elise." Michi laughed off her own blunder.

Elise's concerned look was soon paired with an appraising gaze. The French girl's ash-grey eyes looked straight into Michi's before she wore a tender smile and said,

"Is that so? Then let's change that right away, _mon ami_." Elise patted Michi's shoulder encouragingly and said, "I'm your _sen-pai_ after all, and more so your roommate, so leave breakfast to me."

"Thanks, Elise." Michi said with a relieved smile. With that, Elise took Michi's hand and led her into the _Hanasou_ dormitory kitchen.

Elise sat Michi down on the kitchen's dining table, donned a lilac-colored pinstripe apron decorated with French phrases then got to work on the stove. Michi watched with amusement as Elise hummed a tune as she found her way through the kitchen, slicing bread, frying eggs and brewing coffee.

There would come a time when she would be able to bare her thoughts to Elise, Michi told herself as she watched her roommate's graceful kitchen dance. Until then, there were still questions on Michi's mind that she would have to answer on her own - things she would have to see with her own eyes and hear with her own ears. Until then, she would cheer for her friends - Elise, Lorelei and Ligaya - and smile with them as well as she can.

" _C'est finis_." Elise announced as she set plates of simple egg-topped toast with a side of roast tomatoes and mugs of black coffee for Michi and herself, "Go on right ahead. It's not the best cooking in the world…"

Before Elise could finish, however, Michi picked up her egg toast and took a bite, chewed thoughtfully then swallowed with a smile.

"It's good, Elise. I like this - thanks."

"Is that so…" Elise pleasantly beamed as she sat before Michi at the table, "Then I'm glad."

The two of them then ate their breakfast in relaxed silence, savoring each other's company in the morning sunlight. Just as soon as they finished their meals and put their plates and mugs away, though, the middle-aged lady prefect of the _Hanasou_ stepped into the kitchen and called out to Michi.

"Hideyoshi-san, you have a guest."

"A guest…?" Michi tilted her head. She didn't remember inviting anyone over to the Hanasou, nor did her mother and sister say they were visiting from Hokkaido, so she couldn't begin to imagine who came for her.

While Michi drew blanks in her mind, this mysterious guest came up behind the husky frame of the _Hanasou_ 's prefect and revealed herself. The lithe figure of a sophomore with long, raven black hair stepped into the kitchen and fixed her bright purple eyes on Michi. The surprised freshman naturally looked back and noticed a most peculiar thing about the sophomore in a glance. The thin, red ribbons that Homura always wore were no longer there, replaced by a simple black headband. As soon as Michi recognized this, however, Homura's eyes met with hers and forcefully drew her attention.

"A-Akemi-sa…" Michi stuttered as soon as their eyes met, but she swiftly corrected herself, "I-I… uh, I mean Homura… san… good morning."

"Good morning to you too, Michi." Homura mellowed her smile to try and reassure the freshman, but the reassurance hardly reached her. Regardless, Homura also turned to Elise and gave a courteous nod to her, "And good morning to you as well, Elise."

Elise replied with a courteous nod of her own before facing her with a polite question,

"So what can we do for you, Akemi-san?"

Homura smiled cryptically at Elise's question, puzzling the French girl. Did Homura find her question amusing?

"It's been a while since I saw the two of you." Homura explained as she defused Elise's confusion with a smile, "I wanted to check up on the two of you to see how you were doing." She then turned to Michi who grew uncomfortable with every moment and said, "Is there something wrong, Hideyoshi-san?"

"Homura-san." Michi said firmly, clenching her fists as she shored up the courage to speak, "There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Eh…?" Elise was taken by surprise by Michi's sudden resolve.

"Is that so?" Homura said, her smile widening slightly as if she had expected that response, "There was something I wanted to talk to you about as well." The sophomore then turned to Elise as she asked, "Is it alright if I borrow your roommate for a while, Elise?"

"Ah… sure." Elise said, not knowing what else to say in that situation.

"Alright then, shall we talk in the garden?" Homura offered, turning her eyes to the kitchen's window, "There's a bench there beneath the nice shade of a cherry blossom. It's a good place to… talk."

The subtle emphasis of the sophomore on the word 'talk' unsettled Michi, but she took another breath to gather her courage. She then gave a stiff yet resolute nod to Homura - her heart was set on speaking with the sophomore after all. She had no plans of running away again.

Elise cast a sidelong glance at her roommate and saw Michi's eyes etched with that determination as they walked towards the threshold. It was only for a moment, but Elise could have sworn that the turquoise gem in Michi's hairpin flickered and glowed. It must have been her imagination.

They reached the threshold and Michi waved back to Elise with a smile that, to the French girl felt like a quiet apology. Elise waved back and wore a polite smile that flattened as soon as Michi turned around and followed Homura out of the door.

Somehow, watching Michi leave left a bitter taste in Elise's mouth. The way that Homura sugar-coated her words didn't sit well with her either. It wasn't strange to see why Michi would be interested in Homura Akemi - but that made Elise wonder why Michi caught Homura's eye all of the sudden. What was Homura after?

She then paused and lowered her head in thought. Why did this feel so familiar?

* * *

**First Interlude**

Lost in her thoughts, Elise turned away from the _Hanasou's_ threshold and wandered down the foyer with hands in the pockets of her pants. Another bit of hot coffee would be nice, she thought as she traced her steps back to the kitchen with hands buried in the pockets of her pants. When she approached the threshold, she heard lively chatter and the distinct sound of cereal rushing into ceramic bowls. It was a conversation in Japanese for the most part. One voice spoke fluently while the other was heavily accented and struggled to string together sentences - or at least sentences that made perfect sense. If Elise closed her eyes, she could imagine the second voice being a Spaniard trying to learn Japanese. The thought made her chuckle. After all, she knew that her imagination wasn't that far off from the truth.

Thus, Elise took a deep breath and stepped into the kitchen with a knowing smile, greeting,

"Good morning, Lorelei, Ligaya."

True enough, Elise saw Lorelei and Ligaya there at the kitchen table together with bowls of cereal piled up higher than she thought was possible. The piles of cereal on their bowls were so high that, from where Elise stood, she could only see the two freshmen's heads - Ligaya's unruly black curls straightened out by a white, floral headband and Lorelei's messy, boyish mat hidden beneath her favorite white cloth cap. The two proud architects of the twin cereal towers turned to Elise and beamed back at her, greeting her with a uniformly bright,

"Mornin' _!_ "

The two freshmen girls were in perfect sync, Elise thought as she moved towards the table to join them. Ever since the day they met, Lorelei Sankt and Ligaya de la Cruz were an inseparable duo - like bread and coffee for breakfast, as Ligaya often proposed. One week after bumping into each other in the _Hanasou_ and they were already like sisters.

In between bites, or rather crunches, of her dry milk-less cereal, Ligaya said that her father was joking with her over the phone when she told him about Lorelei. Mr. de la Cruz said that he would be happy to adopt a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl like the German - especially since she could speak half-decent Filipino. Lorelei laughed heartily while Ligaya snickered until she very nearly choked on her cereal. The Filipina managed to clear her throat and just as quickly got back to laughing with Lorelei. The scene brought a warm smile to Elise's lips as she picked up her lilac coffee mug from the rack.

If Lorelei and Ligaya stayed as close as they were now, Elise wondered if the German girl might actually consider that in the future.

"The two of you became such good friends so quickly." Elise spoke her mind as she washed her lilac mug and started to brew some more coffee, "If I didn't know any better, I might say the two of you have known each other your whole lives."

"You think so, Elise?" Lorelei chuckled with amusement as she carefully poured milk onto the peak of her cereal tower before she meticulously started to munch on her breakfast. When the German girl glanced at Elise, however, she sensed anticipation in the French girl's eyes paired with a longing curiosity. Lorelei blinked. She didn't know why, but she noticed that about Elise with strange clarity. She could tell that there were questions hanging from Elise's heart that she couldn't bring herself to ask.

Thus, Lorelei set down her spoon and placed her hands together as she tried to answer Elise's unspoken question.

"If you were to ask me, Elise," Lorelei started as she kept her eyes on the French girl, "I feel as if the four of us - you, Ligaya, Michi and I are kindred spirits. I don't know if it's because we're roommates in the same dorm or something, but I find it easy to get along with you guys." The German girl then beamed, "I don't know if you feel the same way, but I feel like it's natural to be with you. It's gotta be fate."

"That's what I think too…" Elise was amazed, wondering how Lorelei took the words straight from her lips, "Deep inside, though, I can't shake off the feeling that there's more to it than that." A worried wrinkle formed on her brow as she took a nervous sip of her coffee, "Sometimes, I think that I've met you two… and that I've met Michi before."

A moment of thoughtful silence reigned over the table as Elise mulled through the words in her heart. Lorelei kept her gaze firmly on Elise and even Ligaya who only barely understood Japanese was drawn away from her cereal tower as the French girl pondered.

"Could it be…" Elise dared to speak, "could it be that we met in our past lives?"

Lorelei and Ligaya turned to each other, puzzled by Elise's words that were starting to fly above their heads. The silence was broken, however, when Ligaya brought out a chilled can of orange juice and opened it with a crisp sound of metal. She drank straight from the can and gave a delighted exhale before turning to Elise with a smile,

"I don't know if we met in past life," Ligaya started her broken Japanese with undue confidence, "I think that would be cool, but I do know that we are friend today here at Japan." She then grinned at the French girl, "That is enough for me be happy."

Elise held onto her warm lilac mug for a moment as Ligaya's words dawned upon her like a light. To think a weird, oriental girl who ate a tower of cereal without milk and drank orange juice instead made more sense to her than herself - it made Elise chuckle. A small, relieved smile broke out on her once worried lips as she relaxed her tense posture in her seat and conceded,

"You're right Ligaya." Elise spoke her mind once more as she too sipped her drink with brighter spirits, "We have to live in the present. Is that what you're trying to say?"

Ligaya's grin widened as she nodded and she quickly shifted gears, turning her attention back to her tower of milk-less cereal. Lorelei did the same and the table returned to the lighthearted air it had a while ago, leaving Elise alone with her thoughts.

'We have to live in the present.' Elise reminded herself as she sipped her coffee, and glanced out the frosted kitchen window where she saw the blurred outlines of her roommate and Homura Akemi seated beneath the cherry blossom tree of the _Hanasou_ 's tiered garden, "That's why I can't give up yet."

* * *

**Fifteenth Act, First Movement - Things Are As They Should Be**

Pink petals floated gently in the kind breeze that Saturday morning as the last of the springtime blossoms parted with the branches of the trees. In the midst of that shower of pink, Michi sat in tense silence on the stone bench with Homura Akemi. The serenity of the scene around her made the tension in Michi's heart uncomfortably clear to her as she clenched her fists to try and gather some courage to speak. So far, in the past few minutes, it had been a futile attempt and the deadlock remained.

Homura Akemi who sat inches away from the freshman didn't mind the silence. She stole glances of Michi, watching as the freshman's courage swelled in one moment before subsiding just as quickly - like a restless river bending to the will of a full moon. Michi was looking straight ahead towards the forest shedding pink blossoms, avoiding Homura's gaze. Then, the underclassman took a deep breath.

"Um… Homura...san." Michi finally managed to start, but she still didn't dare to turn Homura's way.

"What is it, Michi?" Homura spoke with false, calculated warmth as a devilish smirk on her lips formed, "Did something happen? I'm your upperclassman you know, but more importantly your friend. You can tell me anything - anything at all." She then tucked a lock of her long, black hair behind her left ear, revealing the bright purple earring that she wore swaying in a hypnotic tempo, "You can lay bare your thoughts to me."

"I wanted to talk to you about Monday." Michi spoke firmly, bringing herself to turn to Homura as well, "You see, Homura-san, I saw you and your classmate in the connector bridge that afternoon." The freshman laid a hand on her heart and continued, "I was just planning to say hi to you and to thank you for helping me and Elise earlier that day, but then I overheard some of your conversation - and I saw… that."

"Go on…" Homura kept her sly smile, but her voice seemed to have grown colder, "What are you trying to say?"

Homura's voice had changed dramatically in those few seconds, almost as if another person was speaking that time around. The sophomore leaned to her left and rested her head on the tips of her left pointer and middle fingers as if she were anticipating something. The purple earring that she wore seemed to glow more brightly than usual as she waited for Michi's response.

The change troubled Michi, sapping the courage she had built up just moments ago, but Michi stood her ground. She pursed her lips and stood up from the bench, and gave the sophomore an earnest bow.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping on you like that Homura-san. I didn't mean to do it." Michi maintained her low posture, very nearly letting the bangs of her black hair touch the ground, "I know that I should have spoken to you sooner, but I never got the chance… no...I was afraid to talk to you."

"Afraid…?" Homura's voice seemed frigid now, like a coiled spring that was pressed down to its very limits, "Why were you afraid?"

"At the connector bridge…" Michi straightened up as she explained, "You seemed terribly lonely - you were shaking, on the verge of tears." The freshman then turned her eyes to Homura's and said, "From where I stood, you looked depressed."

When Michi said this, the frigid air that had formed around Homura mellowed and her glaring eyes were replaced by eyes of dumbfounded surprise. Homura sat up straight and her long black hair fell down to her shoulders, covering the purple earring that had been swinging ominously all that time. In a guarded, albeit warmer tone, Homura asked,

"Did I really seem that way to you?"

"That is what I felt." Michi reaffirmed, "When I felt that, I felt that what happened there at the bridge was something I wasn't supposed to get involved with - something you didn't want to others to see." She then lowered her head, adding, "That's why I didn't know what to do all this time."

From her seat, Homura watched the apologizing Michi from head to toe with appraising eyes. She blinked, tilted her head then managed to salvage a small, reassuring smile.

"It's alright, Michi. I understand how you feel." She laid a hand over her heart and said, "I should apologize too for being distant after all of that." The sophomore then wore a sliver of a complex expression that, after a moment of thought, faded back into her smile, "After all, I knew that someone saw what happened at the bridge - and I knew it was you all this time."

Homura then stood up from the bench as well and chuckled, "It seems you and I wanted to talk about the same thing."

"Is that so?" Michi sighed with relief.

"I think I know why you might have thought I was depressed - but I wasn't." Homura then said, taking her turn to tell her side, "That girl I was with was an old, old friend of mine whom I haven't seen in a long time and I was overcome with emotion. I was shaking because my feelings were bursting at the seams - and I was on the verge of tears because..." She turned away from Michi and faced the trunk of the cherry blossom tree, linking her hands thoughtfully behind her back, "because I was sad for the longest time when I couldn't see her. I would look up to the sky and wonder when she would come back. But now she's here - in the flesh. I'm glad that she's here right now where she belongs."

Homura paused to open her hand and she caught a falling cherry blossom petal in her hand and said,

"Things are as they should be."

"She must mean a whole lot to you then, Homura-san." Michi said with sympathy.

"You wouldn't know how much, Michi." Homura said as she let the petal loose into the breeze, "You wouldn't know how much."

The petal sailed skywards, brushed away and out of sight by the breeze.

"Say, Michi." Homura said as she turned her head and gave Michi a sidelong glance, "You don't have anything planned for today, do you?"

"Me…?" Michi paused and thought for a moment then stole a glance of the stained glass window of the _Hanasou_ kitchen behind her, "Well I haven't made any plans yet…"

"That's good then." Homura faced Michi with a sly smile, "Would you like to meet my friends, Michi?" The sophomore's purple eyes then met with the freshman's brown as she asked, "My dear friend will be there too - Madoka Kaname. What do you say?"

**…**

**Fifteenth Act, Second Movement - Senpai, Kouhai, Onee-chan, Friend**

Michi didn't have any plans for the afternoon, or at least she didn't until she gave Homura something that resembled an affirmative nod. That hurried gesture was all Homura needed to see before she took the freshman by the hand and whisked her away from the _Hanasou_ 's tiered garden.

There was a house party that afternoon that Madoka was hosting, Homura explained as she led Michi down the back gate of the _Hanasou_ and through a maze of ginkgo trees whose earthly green canopies contrasted the thinning bright pink crowns of the cherry blossoms. It was only a small affair, the sophomore reassured. Only a handful of people were coming - common friends of Homura's and Madoka's. The sophomore then turned to Michi with a confident gaze and said that she had been meaning to introduce her to them for quite a while now.

'Quite a while', Michi repeated quietly in her mind. Since when? Michi wondered as their shortcut through the ginkgo forest brought them to a bus stop - one of the ultramodern glass shelters that fascinated Michi even then. Fortunately for them, there was a bus that just arrived at the stop and opened its doors with a hiss. The Mitakihara City Metro Transit bus displayed its destination on the digital marquee atop the windshield - the Seventh Mitakihara District where Michi and Homura were headed. Metro Transit busses were quite hard to catch, in Michi's opinion, especially since they were usually stuffed to bursting - something that Michi had never seen happen in her hometown. When Michi and Homura stepped inside, there were three empty seats at the very middle - yet another fortunate turn. Homura flipped her hair to the side knowingly, as if she had expected the bus to arrive at that exact time and with exactly three seats to spare - and Michi was none the wiser.

With another hiss of hydraulics, the bus closed its doors and began its journey towards the seventh district. Just as Michi and Homura were making their way to the three vacant seats, a certain figure with long red hair tied into a ponytail with a black cloth ribbon nonchalantly took the seat right smack in the middle. To Michi's dismay, the red-haired girl leaned back into the seat and crossed her legs with a relaxed, unladylike sigh that entrenched her place in the bus.

The entrenched girl, clad in an unzipped teal hoodie that revealed her navel, short denim shorts that barely covered anything below her waist and tall boots that made Michi uneasy at first as her face was flushed as red as the girl's hair. Michi couldn't for the life of her imagine wearing something that revealing! Her mother would get mad at her, and her sister Matsuri would probably laugh and say something on the lines of ' _Honshu fashion is strange!_ '

Then, the red-haired girl's eyes ventured towards Michi and Homura. The nonchalant mug of the girl brightened into a small smirk as she raised up her hand and greeted,

"Yo, Homura!" The girl then gave Michi an appraising look from head to toe and then smirked, "Is this the friend you were talking about?"

"Good morning, Sakura-san." Homura nodded as she placed an arm over Michi's shoulder and guided the freshman forward, "And yes, this is her - Michi Hideyoshi from Class 1-2."

"You really like em young, don't you Homura?" Kyouko snickered as she pulled out a box of Pocky, "Just when I was thinking that Madoka was a young'un, you go and get your hands on a freshman."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Homura probed with a raised eyebrow. The already flustered Michi started to feel like she was shrinking.

"Nooothing~ much." Kyouko shrugged, feigning innocence with a smug face. She shook her box of pocky, skillfully pulled out one of the sticks with her teeth then handed the box over to the flustered freshman and asked, "Want some?"

"Ah…" Michi started, raising her hands as she tried to politely refuse, "Sorry, I'm not a big fan of processed foods." The freshman then paused as she realized her poor choice of words. Kyouko's carefree face was starting to shift before Michi's eyes so she hastily added, "I'm… more of a home-cooked meal sort of girl."

Silence then fell as Michi locked eyes with the brash girl, a cold sweat forming on her brow. She could feel weight from Kyouko's gaze, unsettling her with each new crumple on the red-haired girl's brow. Michi gulped, trying to distract herself and fixed the collar of her light blue blouse. Then, Kyouko spoke.

"You know…" Kyouko said as Michi listened with bated breath. The red-haired sophomore's expression then eased with a light hearted grin, "That's kinda weird, I like that!" Kyouko rose up with remarkable speed and started to gleefully pat Michi's shoulder, "You're a whole lot like somebody I know, Michi - it's alright if I call you that, right?"

"Y-yeah, 'Michi' is fine." The freshman gave a dazed reply.

"It's settled then, I'll call you 'Michi'." Kyouko said gamely as she wrapped an arm over Michi's shoulder, "You can call me Kyouko."

"Kyouko...senpai, then…" Michi said meekly as the red-haired girl finally let go. The freshman then gave her Kyouko a polite yet earnest bow saying, " _Yoroshikuonegaishimasu_."

With that, Kyouko comfortably took her seat in the middle of the bus again, leaning lazily and crossing her legs as if she were lounging off at home. Michi, on the other hand, followed and sat beside Kyouko with her back straight and her posture perfect. They were stark contrasts to each other, and yet, the two of them hit off on a good note as they got to know each other - talking about each other's hometowns with pleasant fondness. Getting called ' _Kyouko-senpai_ ' helped break the ice quite a bit too as the red-haired girl beamed with pride. Moreso than that, was the fact that the two of them weren't from Mitakihara - a fact that Homura knew beforehand.

With a knowing smile on her lips, Homura quietly took her seat - the last free seat on the bus - and listened to her two companions' spirited conversation. Michi and Kyouko spoke throughout the rest of their trip while Homura closed her eyes in contemplative thought. She knew these two girls' stories after all - word for word - and she had a hand in them both. Homura glanced outside the bus windows and watched the clear, blue sky of late Spring and admired the remarkably calm weather.

In one of the rare lulls in Michi's and Kyouko's conversation, the freshman noticed the quiet Homura gazing out the window and she naturally grew curious. She too soon let her eyes wander to the peaceful scene beyond the bus window - a mellow gated subdivision that sat on a bed of gentle, rolling hills. This was the seventh Mitakihara District, Michi told herself as she read one of the whitewashed wooden signs along the road. This was their destination for the afternoon and - as far as Michi was concerned - the farthest away from the _Hanasou_ she has been since she arrived in Mitakihara.

It was the furthest away Michi had been, and yet, foggy nostalgia was creeping slowly around her heart. This was her first time seeing this place - it should have been. In the back of her mind, she couldn't shake off the thought that she had seen this place before. Was it from a postcard, or a television show? Or had she seen this place before in a different time? Surely, it was her imagination, wasn't it? Before she knew it, she felt her heart beating and her head was feeling light.

"We're almost here." Homura then spoke for the first time in a while, snapping Michi out of her thoughts, "We might miss our stop."

Michi meekly returned her head and sat upright in her seat once more, but her imagination lingered. The odd feeling in her mind and in her heart grew numb and she let them go with an unsatisfied sigh.

As the bus was rolling down to a stop, Michi felt Kyouko shift in her seat with a gamely grin that bared her teeth out of excitement.

"They're right on time, those two." Kyouko said as she proceeded to shake her box of Pocky for another stick and bite the first one that came to the surface.

The bus then came to a stop and Kyouko promptly shot out of her seat and hurried out of the exit door the moment it hissed open, followed by a thick stream of passengers disembarking. Homura chuckled at the Kyouko's eager rush then gestured Michi to come and follow her as the stream of passengers thinned. The freshman obliged and they slowly made their way out of the bus together as she heard voices from beyond the wall.

"Kyouko-neechan! Good morning!" An energetic voice greeted the red-haired sophomore as soon as she stepped out of the bus. Michi couldn't see from behind the wall of the bus, but she was sure the voice was that of a child.

"Ah, the little squirt's here too, huh?" Kyouko doted with a chuckle and Michi heard an embrace - or rather, the sound of a small creature latching lovingly onto the sophomore's teal hoodie. Kyouko then snickered, "Is it me or are you starting to get taller?"

"You see me everyday at Mami-neechan's and you don't notice?" The child's voice chagrined at first before growing proud, "Two centimeters since the last school checkup!"

"Is that so?" Kyouko spoke against the backdrop of the sound of her hand patting a head of hair, "S'probably cause you're gonna be a middle schooler soon… or because Mami's feeding ya so well every day!"

"Now, now, Sakura-san." The voice of another stranger - one older than Michi this time - retorted gently, "I feed the _both_ of you everyday."

Both Kyouko and the little girl laughed with embarrassment, conceding defeat.

Homura stepped out of the bus soon after and drew the attention of the older and the younger strangers. The younger stranger greeted ' _Homura-neesan_ ' brightly, but with a hint of disciplined politeness. The older stranger, on the other hand, spoke to Homura with a great deal of respect that spilled out from her gentle voice. Hearing them made Michi curious as she squeezed out of the bus along with the other passengers. Then, she finally saw them - and they saw her.

The younger stranger, a short, white-haired elementary school girl in a pink polka-dot blouse was the closest to the door when Michi stepped out. The young girl wore twin pigtails at the sides held by bright yellow scrunchies but they were nowhere near as bright as the girl's earnest smile. The moment the girl laid her orange eyes on Michi, however, a puzzling expression took root in her - one that Michi couldn't quite explain. It was as if fear and concern swirled around in the orange sea of her eyes before disappearing like the surf, replaced by childlike anxiety. The young girl thus hid herself from Michi behind Homura's arm but stole glances at her as if Michi were some foreign creature from another world.

"Ah, sorry, sorry!" The older stranger came forward this time and apologized to Michi, revealing her buxom figure and her head of golden hair with two bouncy curls that rested on her shoulders held in place by twin floral hairpins. She laid a gentle hand on the cautious little girl's shoulder and then gave Michi a reassuring smile, "Nagisa-chan here is my cousin and she's a little uneasy around strangers - especially if she's meeting them for the first time. She'll be fine."

A somber look flashed on the little girl's - Nagisa's - face as she heard that. She quickly clung onto the kindly older stranger this time, though she curiously kept hiding herself from Michi's eyes.

"Just give her some time - she'll warm up to you soon before long." The older stranger reassured Michi again as she embraced Nagisa with one arm, "But I believe this is the first time we've met as well."

"Yes, that's correct." Michi spoke politely as she gave the golden-haired upperclassman a courteous bow, "My name is Michi Hideyoshi from Class 1-2. _Yoroshikuonegaishimasu._ "

"Mami Tomoe, _yoroshiku_." The buxom upperclassman confidently returned Michi's bow with a curtsy. She then put the back of her free hand on her hip and asked with a smile, "Hideyoshi-san, now that we're here... _parlez vous francais_?"

Michi blinked, silent for a while as she was taken by surprise by the strange question - in French of all languages. She gathered herself then replied with the best, albeit accented French she could manage off the top of her head, " _Une petit peut seulement_." The freshman quickly reverted back to Japanese, "Why do you ask, Tomoe-senpai?"

"Well, that's because I'm from Class 3-4, and De Lamarliere-san is my classmate." Mami replied in Japanese again with bright flourish.

Michi's eyes widened in realization as she heard Mami say Elise's surname - she said it perfectly. This must have been the one Elise was talking about - the one who wrote Italian phrases in her notebook. Michi considered asking about that for a little bit, but she pragmatically decided to let it slide. Thus, the third-year student smiled then spoke her mind,

"Akemi-san said that you were a friend of hers, but I didn't know you were De Lamarliere-san's friend too - let alone her roommate! How nice - it's good to finally meet you!"

Michi nodded agreeably but was surprised by just how quickly word about her spread in Homura's circle. While Mami seemed like a kind, reliable upperclassman, Michi couldn't help but feel that the third-year girl was looking at her with appraising eyes and she didn't have the faintest idea as to why. She didn't have bed hair, did she? She made sure to tie her hair properly and to pin it down just as she had always done. That couldn't be it.

What's more, the young, puzzling Nagisa was either too afraid or too shy to even look at her for more than a few seconds even if she tried - and failed - to put on her friendliest smile.

"Nagisa-chan and I were waiting for the three of you to arrive." Mami placed her hands together pleasantly as she spoke, "Come one then - shall we get going? Kaname-san is waiting for all of us after all."

**...**

**Fifteenth Act, Third Movement - I've Always Wanted To Meet You!**

With that, the five of them started down the paved pathway to the subdivision for a pleasant stroll. Rows of modest, two-story, ultramodern houses welcomed them with their bright, green lawns of fresh-trimmed grass, and manicured shrubs and mulberry trees. They soon reached a particular house in the middle of the road where a white Honda Grace and an amber Ford Fiesta, both subcompacts carrying California state plates as well as Kanagawa prefecture ones, were parked together in the driveway. The Honda Grace was curious, what with the California vanity plate that read 'Junko' in romaji while the Ford Fiesta was a left-hand drive - and a stick shift to boot.

"Ara~" Mami remarked happily as she eyed the American subcompact, "So they're here too, then."

They passed by the two subcompacts and reached the front door, beside which was a bronze plate that read 'Kaname'. Homura stepped forward and rang the doorbell, sounding the charming tune of the Westminster chime throughout the house.

"Coming! Please wait a moment!" The muffled voice of a girl came from behind the door, followed by hurried footsteps that descended down a staircase and rushed over to the door. Then, the door opened for them and the petite figure of a fourteen year-old pink-haired girl appeared in casual clothes before them with her hair tied up into a modest ponytail. She seemed to be catching her breath, having rushed all the way to the door, but she still managed to wear a bright smile for her guests.

"Homura-chan! Everyone - and Nagisa-chan too! You guys are all early - i'm glad you all made it!" The pink-haired girl greeted happily with a warm, uplifting tone, "Please, come on inside! Papa made a big lunch for everyone!"

Mami, Kyouko and little Nagisa graciously thanked their host and stepped into the threshold with an air of excitement about them. They had heard stories about the cuisine at the Kaname family household that would put even Mami to shame. Kyouko and Nagisa licked their lips as they caught a whiff of what could only be heavenly fare. Mami, on the other hand, clenched her fists determinedly as she sought to check out her new rival's fare - but even she couldn't help but be charmed by the aroma. The trio promptly stepped into the house and Homura soon followed after chatting a little with their pink-haired host. Michi was also drawn to the aroma of the food, but she was captivated instead by the profile of the girl named 'Madoka Kaname'.

So this was the pink-haired girl she saw in the connector bridge, Michi thought - Homura's dearest friend. Seeing her now out in the open brought a familiar feeling to Michi's heart. It was just like what she felt when she first met Homura in the Mitakihara central train station just less than a week ago - a feeling of familiarity that she simply couldn't grasp. And yet, Madoka's was a warm, gentle force that - if she closed her eyes and let her thoughts take flight - made her think of her idyllic hometown in the summer. That was the word she was looking for, Michi mused - seeing Madoka reminded her of the summer, and this summer came to her with a smile

"You're M-Michi Hideyoshi-san, right?" Madoka spoke with bashful politeness, but still carried her captivating warmth, "I'm glad you came! I've always wanted to meet you!"

"L-likewise, …" Michi stammered and unwittingly started to speak archaically, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kaname-senpai." Then, she gave Madoka a deep, respectful bow, " _Yoroshiku onegaishimasu_."

Michi's overly formal gesture made Madoka grow flustered - but at the same time, it drew a chuckle. The freshman's speech, her manners and even the silver kanzashi pin with a paulownia-shaped turquoise gem that tied her hair into a neat bun reminded her of a Taisho-period drama she watched late last night.

Thus, Madoka closed her eyes and then gracefully returned Michi's bow with one of her own. When the two girls straightened up again, they shared a hearty laugh that shattered whatever ice there was between them - not that there was much of it to begin with.

"That's a really nice _kanzashi_ , Hideyoshi-san." Madoka earnestly complemented, tilting her head to the side as she tried to get a better look of the paulownia gem, "It really suits you."

"You think so?" Michi ran a conscious yet happy hand behind her head and felt the silver pin, "Thanks, Kaname-senpai. It's a gift that my little sister gave me for my birthday." The freshman closed her eyes fondly and said, "She knew I liked this color - turquoise blue - so she got us matching pairs. Now, when we both wear our pins in town, people mistake us for twins!"

"Wehihi~!" Madoka laughed adorably, "I don't know why, but I can imagine that!"

"Here, i'll bring up a picture - it's really cute!" Michi grinned proudly as she tapped the face of her old-model WristComm 16 and brought out a formless screen. There was a picture of a younger Michi and an even smaller girl - Matsuri Hideyoshi - eating watermelon on the ledge of the stone wall of the Hideyoshi household with their backs to the camera. Michi was absolutely right, Madoka thought - if it weren't for Michi's height, it would have been hard to tell them apart.

Regardless, Michi's excitement easily rubbed off on Madoka. The two of them were proud _onee-sans_ after all, older sisters who adored their siblings to bits. Madoka brought up her own WristComm, the model 88, and she shared pictures of her and her baby brother Tatsuya. For a good few minutes, the two girls traded photos and doted over their siblings. Once they had their fill, Madoka smiled and finally invited Michi into her home.

When they stepped into the threshold, however, little Nagisa Momoe was hiding sheepishly behind the door and very nearly panicked when Michi and Madoka came. Was she waiting there behind the door all that time? The white-haired girl stepped back in a hurry, avoided Michi's eyes then bashfully lowered her head as she spoke,

"M-Madoka-neechan…" Nagisa stole glances at Madoka then Michi as she twiddled her thumbs, "Where's the toilet?"

"Ah, it's right here!" Madoka gladly showed Nagisa the door to the powder room near the kitchen. The white-haired girl glanced once more at Michi then hastily bowed then slipped into the powder room like a turtle retreating into its shell.

"Nagisa-chan really is afraid of me, isn't she?" Michi frowned in defeat.

"That's not true, Hideyoshi-san." Madoka shook her head encouragingly and smiled, "I'm sure Mami-san has told you already about how shy Nagisa-chan is. But I'm sure she'll warm up to you before long."

That was the exact same thing that Mami told her just a while ago, so Michi wondered, "What makes you say that, Kaname-senpai?"

The pink-haired girl's smile brightened even more as she placed her hands together and said, "It's just a hunch, but - I think that the two of you would get along just fine."

That was an earnest answer, Michi thought. She hardly knew this Madoka Kaname girl, but she could tell that she was speaking straight from the heart when she said it. Curious as Michi was to know more, she couldn't help but have faith in Madoka's words. Thus, she asked her host a different question as well,

"I need to use the bathroom as well - is there another toilet?"

"Ah, there's one upstairs!" Madoka explained, gesturing Michi to come and follow her, "I'll take you there."

Michi thankfully nodded and let the host lead her to the second floor. They climbed the quaint staircase of polished wood where old-time photographs hung alongside state-of-the-art digital frames. The digital frames all showed scenes from the Kaname family's three years in San Francisco, taking photos with one popular locale after another. The photographs, on the other hand, were all scenes from before then - younger versions of Madoka's mother and Michi's history teacher, Kazuko Saotome posing with graduation flowers pinned to their uniforms at the gates of the Naoetsu Private High School, a picture of Madoka's father with thicker longer hair, grinning with one of his prized cherry tomato plants, a family photo of the Kanames just after Tatsuya was born, and then an interesting photo of just before Madoka and her family left for the States. The ten-year-old Madoka was somber as she had her last photograph with the rest of her elementary school classmates, all of them gathered behind her save for a certain blue-haired girl who held onto Madoka's hand and was - even from a distance - noticeably fighting to hold back her tears.

Michi remembered seeing that blue-haired girl in the entrance ceremony during the ceremonial march. It was only for a moment, but she saw her talking with Elise in passing that one time. As Michi mulled through the scene, they reached the second floor bathroom.

"Just let me know if there's anything you need, okay, Hideyoshi-san?" Madoka said dutifully as she opened the door for Michi and switched on the lights.

Michi nodded thankfully then stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her as she went about her business. When she finished, she thoroughly washed her hands at the sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror, parting the stray strands of hair that had draped over her brows. Everyone seemed so happy to meet her, Michi recollected the whirlwind of introductions she had in the past two hours alone. Watching her reflection in the mirror, the freshman tried to discern why Kyouko, Mami, Nagisa - to some extent - and Madoka were so intent on meeting with her. Looking back at it again, she also wondered why out of all the incoming transfer students, Homura went out of her way to see her at the station and show her around the school.

What did these people see in her? She was little more than an ordinary, provincial Hokkaido girl and only her silver _kanzashi_ would have stood out in a crowd - barely so. She felt like she was forgetting something - something important that led her there. As the sound of the flowing sink filled the second floor bathroom of the Kaname household, Michi sifted through the loose ends in her mind. She thought about her train ride, about the _Hanasou_ , about Lorelei and Ligaya, about Elise, about Mitakihara Junior High, about the blue-haired girl, about Homura - then about Madoka. It was like following a swath of threads through a dark forest, riddled with mist and dead ends.

Michi closed the faucet and then dried her hands with a towel and a sigh.

**...**

**Fifteenth Act, Fourth Movement - I'm A Terrible Sleeper Too**

Just as Michi was about to step out of bathroom, a dull thud reverberated from the other side of the wall followed by a groan. Michi gasped and a rush of hurried steps reached Michi's ears, coming from the second floor hallway. She dared to open the bathroom door and heard the footsteps growing louder, headed towards her this time around. Her host, Madoka Kaname, was running towards Michi.

"Michi-chan!" Madoka said in an urgent tone, her hair disheveled with worry, "Could you come with me for a bit?" The pink-haired sophomore caught her breath and gave Michi a bow, "I know I'm asking too much of you, but could you help me out?"

In the heat of the moment, Michi gave Madoka a gamely nod. The two of them set forth to the masters' bedroom - the place where the dull thud and the groans had come from.

Madoka's mother, the pink-haired host would soon explain as they traversed the polished wood floor with brisk steps, had been out celebrating with her colleagues up until three in the morning. Somehow, all three of them managed to commute back to the Kaname household just before dawn and they all fell asleep in very unflattering positions out on the front lawn. Madoka and her father naturally took care of them and they somehow managed to bring them all to bed in the large masters' bedroom where they all slept soundly - up until now.

Madoka stopped right in front of the door and took a deep breath as she laid her hand on the knob. She then turned to Michi with a determined look and gave her a nod. Was that a signal to breach the door? Not sure what else to say, Michi nodded and stood back as Madoka turned the knob.

Groaning sounds welcomed the girls as Madoka opened the door, flooding from the dim master's bedroom and ringing in Michi's ears. After a moment or so, Michi started to pick out words and phrases in the groans - an incomprehensible ramble about timetables, spreadsheets and presentations, spoken in an odd mix of Japanese and English. It was as if the voice was having a conversation - or rather, was arguing with some phantom in the dark room. Then, after a satisfied sigh, the rambling ceased and was soon replaced by a hearty snore.

Madoka breathed a sigh relief, but she knowingly kept her course through the darkness as Michi followed a pace behind. Michi would soon find out, however, that the bedroom floor had become like a maze of pillows and bedsheets that had been scattered all over the floor.

"Sorry for the mess, Hideyoshi-san!" Madoka apologized in a hush, "My mom's a terrible sleeper sometimes - especially when she comes home after a long night out."

"D-don't worry about it." Michi stuttered as she tried to reassure. She was a pretty bad sleeper herself, after all, so she didn't have the right to complain. A certain roommate of hers would probably attest to that with a devious snicker, bringing a pout to Michi's lips.

And so, Michi followed Madoka through the darkness, feeling the pillows and sheets strewn about on the bedroom floor with her feet. There were so many of them lying about that Michi started to imagine herself walking on the clouds.

The trail led them to a king sized-bed, behind which was the figure of a woman in her late thirties curled up into a ball on the bedroom floor with a mound of pillows and blankets firmly in her arms. Sunlight flowed in through the lone slit in the window curtains and illuminated the figure, revealing an odd mix of disheveled hair, wrinkled clothes and the most peaceful sleeping expression that Michi had ever seen - for someone who had been complaining about Excel spreadsheets a moment ago, at least.

Madoka groaned as she put her hand on her hip, regarding her mother as she wondered what to do. She then pulled open the curtains and let light flood the dim masters' bedroom, causing her mother to stir.

"Mmmngh… too bright..." Junko Kaname groaned as she turned her face away from the light, "Don't wanna get up yet… Three more minutes…"

"Sure thing, but not on the floor, mama!" Madoka reasoned sternly, standing with her arms akimbo. She then turned to Michi and said, "Hideyoshi-san, would you help me out a bit?"

"Yeah, of course." Michi obliged. Without a second thought, the two girls carefully hoisted the half-awake Junko up to her feet and then guided her back to the king sized bed. Illuminated now by the light flowing from the window, Michi saw that the king-sized bed had two more occupants - the American and the Ukrainian colleagues of Junko Kaname - sleeping soundly on the other side of the bed.

"That's auntie Audrey and auntie Serafina." Madoka introduced, pointing to them with her free hand as they eased Junko back to the bed, "They're family friends who helped us get on our feet when we were in San Francisco." Madoka propped a pillow behind Junko's head and spoke with a reminiscent sigh, "Mama's their boss and she really trusts the two of them with work stuff, so they're close as can be."

The pink-haired girl then flashed Michi a kind smile and said, "I'll introduce you to them too sometime - just don't tell them you already saw them passed out, okay?"

"I'll keep that in mind." Michi noted empathetically.

With that, Michi and Madoka briskly started to clean up the messy bedroom floor and fetched glasses of water for all three women in the bed. They left them on a tray by the bedside and quietly started to make their way out of the room - but not before Junko spoke slowly but surely.

"Wait a sec, Madoka, I didn't know you brought... the caretaker here with you."

"The caretaker?" Madoka turned around, surprised by her mother's words.

"Yeah, the caretaker - she took care of the house while we were in the States." Junko seemed adamant as she eyed Michi, but she still spoke in a sleepy tone, "That's her, isn't she?"

"Mama, what are you talking about?." Madoka tilted her head, "She's the friend that Homura-chan brought over. She's very nice!"

"M-my name is Michi Hideyoshi." The freshman quickly added, "Pardon the intrusion."

"Hmm… Hideyoshi-chan… huh?" Junko hummed as she regarded Michi a second time, "Ah, you're right - I must have mistaken you for someone else, Hideyoshi-chan. Apologies."

"It's no problem at all, Kaname-san. _Yoroshiku_." Michi gave Madoka's mother a deep, respectful bow, "Please don't worry about it - and thank you for letting Kaname-senpai invite us over."

"You're a true blue _yamato nadeshiko_ , huh, Hideyoshi-chan?" Junko mumbled with a satisfied smile, "You have such colorful friends, don't you, Madoka?"

"Go get some more sleep, mama." Madoka chuckled as a reply, "You're saying weird things again."

"Alright, alright." Junko conceded as she let her head sink into her new pillow, "Have fun you two!"

With that, Michi and Madoka excused themselves and proceeded to walk out of the masters' bedroom. On their way out, Madoka gave a sidelong glance to her freshman guest and wore an apologetic smile,

"I'm sorry to drag you into all of this, Hideyoshi-san." The pink-haired girl said, letting the tips of her pointer fingers meet just below her chest, "We only just met and I'm already asking you for all these favors. I kept you from enjoying papa's lunch too."

"Like I said, Kaname-senpai, it's alright." Michi finally managed to speak reassuring words as she smiled back at Madoka, "I got to meet Homura-san's friends, I got to see your house, meet your mom and your aunties... and I got to meet you too!" She took a quick, shy pause, joined her hands behind her back and grinned, "To tell you the truth, I'm having a lot of fun - so thank you!"

"Is that so?" Madoka was absolutely pleased, "Well then, I hope we can be good friends, Hideyoshi-san." She chuckled happily then added, "And I hope you continue to be Homura-chan's friend as well."

"I hope so too." Michi spoke lightheartedly, "I hope so too."

When the two girls opened the masters' bedroom door, the tiny figure of Nagisa Momoe was waiting for them again behind the threshold. The white-haired girl jumped with surprise to see them at first, but she managed to gather herself - as much as she could, at least - and say,

"Mami-neesan and the others were looking for the two of you." Nagisa bashfully explained, still avoiding eye contact with Michi, "L-lunch is ready, and we didn't want to get started without you, Madoka-neesan…" The little girl paused, and then with a mountain of effort, finally said, "and we were w-waiting for you too… Mi… Michi-neesan."

Michi then came forward and dotingly squatted down before Nagisa and wore a mild, gracious smile, "Thanks Nagisa-chan. Can you show us the way?"

"Mm…" Nagisa gave a small nod - the warmest reception Michi got from the child all morning. She turned to Madoka who then gave her a knowing smile.

'I told you so.' That smile seemed to say

That was all Michi needed to know.

* * *

**Sixteenth Act - Fortissimo Largo, Doloroso**

Later that afternoon, just as the sun was starting to set, Sayaka Miki walked through the quiet Kagami tree-lined path with heavy feet and a somber air about her. The gentle flight of the last cherry blossom petals of the season and the warm orange shade of the late afternoon sky contrasted the sophomore's tired, blue eyes and the disillusioned frown on her lips.

" _You already know what it is that you have to do, don't you, Sayaka Miki-san?_ "

The words of the injured Incubator rang in her ears as a provident wind blew through the breeze, lifting cherry blossoms skywards once more.

"Mi-chan…" Sayaka spoke to no one in particular as the loose pink petals brushed against her and got caught in her short, blue hair, "I wonder if she'll listen to me."

A shadow formed over the blue-haired girl's eyes as she brushed away the petals from her hair.

"What am I saying? Of course she'll listen to me." Sayaka muttered with hollow determination as she looked at the petals in her hand, "I am still Madoka's exemplar - her right hand - so I am still Mi-chan's superior." She nonchalantly dropped the petals then turned her eyes to the bridge to the _Hanasou_ dormitory, "Mi-chan has to answer to me."

Sayaka left the terracotta path and crossed the stone bridge over the serene stream that reflected the orange heavens above. She regarded her reflection in the flowing waters at the side of the bridge, displeased with the tired look she had in the natural mirror. As she crossed over the bridge, however, her unusually long shadow trailed behind her. Small ripples formed in the water, as if a large fish darted downstream in a hurry, but there were no fish in the Kagami path's waters. There was almost no one else in the path as well, save for Sayaka crossing the bridge.

The moment she cleared the bridge, however, the strange ripples disappeared.

The blue-haired girl then marched up the poured concrete steps of the _Hanasou_ 's tiered garden and started making her way to the front entrance. A heavy expression grew about her as she crossed the garden - the smell of freshly cut grass, the fragrance of flowers and the calm of the afternoon unsettled her. It reminded her of a time that - in her eyes - was long gone.

"What an elaborate farce." Sayaka clicked her tongue as the scene of late Spring left her with displeasure, "Too elaborate… but what for?"

Still hounded by her thoughts, Sayaka reached the front door of the ultramodern _Hanasou_ dormitory. Just as she reached for the door, however, a pair of freshman girls - blurs of curly black hair with a white headband and short golden hair with a cloth cap - dashed out of the _Hanasou_ with thunderous excitement.

"I'll beat ya to the bus, Lorelei!" The black-haired girl with the headband challenged as she laughed, "Then you'll have to buy me schnitzel!"

"I'd like to see you try, Ligaya!" The cloth cap-wearing girl stuck out her tongue as she caught up with her challenger.

"Argh! I hate track and fieeeeeld!" Ligaya complained as she and Lorelei very nearly tripped down the steps of the tiered garden in their haste.

"Ai-chan… Ri-chan…" Sayaka whirled her head in a daze to see the German and the Filipina girl cross the bridge, laughing and carefree. The blue-haired girl, swept by emotion, wanted to run after them, but the two girls were long out of earshot and soon disappeared behind the thick canopies of ginkgo and cherry blossoms.

Disappointment welled in Sayaka's heart as she stopped considering chasing after them. The distance between them was too large, Sayaka thought, that she didn't know if she could reach them. Thinking about made her grit her teeth out of frustration before she calmed herself with a long, pained sigh. Still weighed down by her own thoughts, she turned around and was startled. Standing there at the threshold of the _Hanasou_ dormitory was a sixteen year old red-haired girl with her arms folded in frustration and a look of displeasure etched on her brow.

" _Donc_? What are _you_ doing here?" The stern tone of Elise de Lamarliere was dismissive as the afternoon sun cast the French girl's looming shadow over Sayaka.

"D-Duramayue-senpai!" Sayaka stammered as she found her bearings, "Perfect timing! Listen…"

"'Duramayue-senpai?' So you do remember my name." Elise's ash-grey eyes cast cold stares right back at Sayaka's blue. She then caught a glimpse of the golden fortissimo pins in Sayaka's hair - the same ones she wore in the entrance ceremony and Elise's expression soured even more, "I thought you didn't know me?"

"What are you talking about? Of course I know you." Sayaka tried to argue, "We met at the Mitakihara River last Sunday and…"

"And we met again in the entrance ceremony the next day - Monday - and you said you didn't know me." Elise countered sharply, sending a chill down Sayaka's spine, "I was hoping that you were joking - that it was a prank of some sort - but the look in your eyes back then was serious. You really didn't know me at all. You weren't lying." The French girl then stepped forward, darkening the shadow she cast over Sayaka, "And now here you are talking to me as if that never happened."

"Duramayue-senpai, I…" Sayaka started, but her fear was betrayed by her shaking hands.

"I feel like I'm talking to two different people when it comes to you, Miki-san." Elise spoke with unforgiving honesty, "And frankly, I don't know which one of you to believe - or if I can believe you anymore at all." She then cast Sayaka yet another sharp, critical look and said, "You didn't even come here to apologize, did you?"

Sayaka was cornered, threatened by Elise's words and the darkening shadow that loomed over her. There was no way for her to talk her way out of this one unscathed - not when the sharp, silver-tongued Elise was bearing down on her like this. It frustrated her, but there was only one option left to her.

"I'm sorry Duramayue-senpai." Sayaka said, giving the French girl a deep bow, "A lot of things have been happening lately and… I don't know if you would believe me if I said so."

"Hardly." Elise said bluntly as she stepped through the threshold and walked down the steps of the tiered garden as her looming shadow remained ahead of her. With her back turned to Sayaka, she gave her parting words, "Until you have put your thoughts in order and come to do things properly, then I would suggest that you avoid asking favors of people you have not treated well."

The dangerous look of annoyance on Elise's mien froze Sayaka before she could give an earnest reply.

"Duramayue-senpai…!" Sayaka called after her a little too late.

Elise, very nearly out of earshot, whirled about and raised a polite hand in a wave, "Goodbye, Miki-san."

Then, Elise too went out of sight, leaving Sayaka alone in the garden.

The provident wind blew through the garden once more as Sayaka lowered her head in sorrow. The bangs of her short blue hair and the fortissimo pin swayed in the wind, casting shifting shadows that covered her eyes and the bitter expression on her lips. Then, she heard laughter coming from beyond the bridge - it was Madoka's.

Sayaka's eyes shot forward and her feet jerkily moved forward, drawn to her old, dear friend's voice. Then, she stopped in her tracks at the foot of the _Hanasou's_ stone bridge, her feet frozen by a nervous throb of her heart. From where she stood, she saw the Kagami tree-lined path where six people were walking together towards the dormitory. Sayaka saw Madoka at the heart of the formation with the others hanging around her like a happy, lively screen. Mami, Kyouko and Nagisa brought up the rear, praising the cooking of Madoka's father in their own. Homura Akemi, meanwhile, walked hand-in-hand with Madoka with a proud smile on her lips - as disdainful sight that Sayaka had expected.

The sixth person in the group, however, was none other than Michi - the very same person she sought in the _Hanasou_. The Japanese freshman with a silver kanzashi tying her hair spoke cordially with the proud Homura and was playfully hounded by Kyouko every so often - sights that stung Sayaka's heart. However, in Sayaka's eyes, those were not the most mortal of Michi's sins. The one fact that Sayaka simply couldn't accent was the fact that Michi - the former caretaker of the Silver Garden - was on such good terms with Madoka already.

Why was Michi was walking at Madoka's side while she, her faithful exemplar, was so far away? Is this Homura's way of spiting her yet again?

"This has to be some sick joke…" Sayaka felt bitter tears welling up in her eyes. She gritted her teeth, but she could feel the floodgates rattle, "I'm the one who Madoka needs the most… not you!"

Madoka and her companions soon reached the other side of the bridge, but the happy air about them ceased as soon as they saw the crestfallen Sayaka standing in the way. It was too late for her now, Sayaka thought, as the tears formed in the sides of her eyes. She didn't want to cry - especially not in front of Madoka, not in front of Michi… and definitely not in front of the devil herself.

Thus, Sayaka covered her eyes and crossed the bridge with brisk steps and gritted teeth. She bumped into Michi in her blindness and when she did, she smelled her cherry-blossom scented shampoo. It infuriated her. Sayaka instinctively shoved Michi out of her way and Kyouko quickly caught her. The red-haired sophomore's brow crumpled angrily and she lashed,

"Oy, Miki! The hell's your problem!?"

Sayaka didn't listen. As a matter of fact, she couldn't seem to hear Kyouko's voice at all. Her steps grew faster and faster and Homura promptly took Madoka by the hand to pull her out of Sayaka's path. Homura placed herself in between Madoka and Sayaka and cast a frigid glare of suspicion, but it never reached Sayaka's covered eyes. Instead, trails of a teardrop slipped through her fingers and dropped to the terracotta tiles before Homura's and Madoka's feet.

Then, Sayaka held in a bitter sob and burst into a sprint, running down the Kagami tree-lined path as fast as her feet could take her.

Madoka watched the retreating Sayaka with a worried look, but she was held in place by Homura's firm grasp. Even if Homura wasn't holding her, though, she didn't know if she had the strength to run after Sayaka - she didn't even know the first thing to say to her if she managed to catch up.

Homura's glare, however, sharpened as the provident wind blew a third time. A flock of crow-like birds emerged from the canopies of the Kagami tree-lined path and took to the skies with their ominous cawing. All the while, Michi gathered herself and put a hand over her heart and wondered just what was going on.

* * *

**Epilogue**

Later that evening, at the central park of the Sixth Mitakihara District, a thick layer of miasma that had blanketed the grounds was slowly starting to dissipate. The low pitched moans and chants of the towering Wraiths were overshadowed by vicious barrages of gunfire and by the ferocious roar of Kyouko Sakura as she gripped her spear with anger as she snapped,

"I'm PISSED OFF!"

The red-haired girl whirled her spear and launched herself toward a trio of Wraiths, impaling them one after another. Mami and Homura followed after the spear-fighter, finishing off the Wraiths that Kyouko maimed as they tried to keep up with her pace. Left and right, the towering white-robed creatures fell to the ground unceremoniously and dissolved into black dust, leaving behind the glassy, black Grief Cubes in their wake.

Kyouko landed on her feet panting, her brow laden with sweat as she held onto her spear for support. Grief Cubes then all fell together like monotonous chimes around her. Hearing them made Kyouko click her tongue. She remembered the belligerent blue-haired girl at the bridge and her grip on her spear tightened close to breaking point. All the while, a final swarm of lanky Wraiths loomed around her.

A gentle hand then rested on her shoulder, offering a handkerchief made of golden ribbons.

"Thanks, Mami…" Kyouko sighed as she took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her brow. She then returned the handkerchief and extended her hand to the gunner with a confident grin, "Let's end this quickly, shall we?"

"But of course." Mami smiled back as she dissolved the handkerchief and took Kyouko's hand. The two girls then pressed their backs against each other and gathered their energy, casting a bright beacon of red and golden light. Mami then undid the ribbon of her dress and transformed the golden thread into a large, silver culverin etched with intricate black, floral designs. The large field gun glowed in the beacon's light and then multiplied, splitting into eight similar guns.

Kyouko whirled her spear in one hand and the fuses of all eight guns caught flame. Then, with confident flourish, Mami and Kyouko raised their voices and cried,

"TIRO PHANTASMA!"

The large culverins all fired at the same time, launching golden cannonballs that traced swirls of red lattice in their trail. The cannonballs pulverized the Wraiths they struck while the vicious web of red lattice severed limbs and tore the white-robed creatures to pieces.

A cool breeze then blew and dispersed the once thick fog from the park. The culverins, cannonballs and lattice disappeared as well and Mami and Kyouko sighed with relief as they admired their handiwork. A few dozen Grief Cubes then started to fall to the earth in a light drizzle.

"We're on sync as always, Sakura-san." Mami said proudly as she let go of Kyouko's hand. She then beamed at Kyouko happily and said, "And you said the name I made up for our combo attack too!"

"Well… it's embarrassing, but you said you worked really hard on making those names." Kyouko fidgeted for a while. She then blinked as she saw her reflections on the Grief Cubes scattered on the ground, "And I felt like shouting out a little bit."

"It's about your classmate Miki-san again, isn't it?" Mami surmised.

The gunner summoned her golden Soul Gem and cradled it in her hands, revealing the deep, black corruption it sustained from the magic she spent.

"Yeah… What the hell has been going on with Miki lately?" Kyouko's frustrations from earlier were coming to the surface yet again. She too summoned her red Soul Gem, but didn't bother to look at it, "She's been coming late to school, she hasn't been talkin' to no one and she goes on and just pushes Michi like it was nothing!" Kyouko clicked her tongue, "Miki can be a lone wolf for all I care, but she'd better leave my new _kouhai_ out of it!"

"I know you're angry for your new _kouhai_ 's sake, but please try to stay focused in battle." Mami spoke reasonably as she picked up a dozen Grief Cubes from the ground and set them beside her gem, "We're lucky that our opponents are rather weak, but they have been growing more numerous as of late." The gunner watched as the twelve cubes floated around midair and drew out the black corruption from her gem, "The three of us are veteran Puella Magi, but we still have to work together - and it was a little hard to keep up with you when you're all fired up like just a while ago."

"I know, I know…" Kyouko sighed again as she too picked up some cubes to cleanse her gem, "I'm sorry…"

The lithe figure of Homura Akemi then came forward before the two and spoke,

"Sayaka Miki-san is nothing more than a nuisance. Don't pay her any attention." Homura lectured sternly, drawing an indifferent mug from Kyouko. The time traveler then turned her head towards the half-moon hanging in the starless night sky and spoke in a more thoughtful tone, "Miki-san and I have some bad blood between us - Madoka and Miki-san have a bit of a history too. She has a bad habit of clashing with everything and everyone she meets." She then ran a hand through her hair and added, "I pity her, to tell you the truth."

"It's her loss then. I wanted to try and reach out to her for a while, but I've changed my mind." Kyouko said dismissively as she joined her hands behind the back of her head. She yawned with her mouth wide open and transformed back into her street clothes saying, "Well, that tired me out more than I thought. Shall we get going? I could use a spot of tea."

"We still have to gather the Grief Cubes first, Sakura-san." Mami reminded with a chuckle, "Then we can have tea and crumpets."

With that, Mami, Kyouko and Homura combed through the park and picked up the Grief Cubes scattered around. There was quite a haul that evening, Homura thought as the small pouch she carried was quickly filled before long. She shook the pouch and heard the glassy, hollow rattle of the cubes but she didn't look particularly satisfied. In her mind, she imagined the feeling and contour of a different yield - the Grief Seeds of old. It wasn't hard to imagine, after all. The glassy, hollow sounds of Grief Cubes and Grief Seeds were almost the same.

Homura shook her head and put her pouch aside as she continued her rounds.

"Akemi-san." Mami then started as the two of them searched the same area for cubes. She inched closer to Homura and spoke in a whisper, "Do you mind if I talk to you about something frankly?"

"Go right ahead, Tomoe-san." Homura said. She was wondering what Mami would want to talk about all of the sudden, but a quick glance at the serious look that the gunner wore gave Homura an idea.

"I wanted to talk to you about the friend you brought with you earlier - Michi Hideyoshi-san." Mami explained as she brushed through the grass with her hand and picked up a cube hiding behind the blades, "Do you remember the time the two of us did some research on the Puella Magi of the Second World War?"

Homura's eyes quickly sharpened at the mention of the war and a shadow formed over eyes, but she didn't flinch.

"What about it?" Homura asked in a vague tone.

"I know this might be a long stretch, but Hideyoshi-san seemed to be rather similar to that one girl we were interested in." Mami explained herself, "Hideyoshi-san's mannerisms, the way she handles herself and even the kanzashi pin she wears… it's different. And it's not just because she's from Hokkaido too."

"What are you trying to imply?" Homura gave Mami a sidelong glance.

"Well, I was wondering…" Mami spoke as Homura waited with bated breath, "I was wondering if that was why you took an interest in her."

Homura exhaled audibly and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, "So that was what you were trying to get at." The shadow over the time traveler's eyes lifted as she added, "Yes, I found it interesting how similar she was to the girl we did research on way back when. But more than that, she was the transfer student assigned to me by the program committee. She is my ward, so I have to take care of her."

"On that note," Homura then faced Mami again and spoke with carefully chosen words, "do you recall why we researched the Puella Magi of the Second World War?"

"Hmm…" Mami hummed as she tried to recall, "It must have been out of curiosity." The gunner wore a small smile, "The two of us are history enthusiasts after all, so that must have been the case."

"Also…" Homura quickly added as the intensity returned to her tone, "Does the date May 1, 2088 mean anything to you?"

"May 1?" Mami hummed again as she took a moment to think, "Isn't that… isn't that the rescheduled date of the Cultural Festival?"

"Is that so?"

Homura turned away from Mami and looked up to the half moon hanging in the starless sky once more. In Homura's mind, she saw a different scene - one that she had seen over and over a long time ago. She recalled a harrowing scene of destruction in the face of an unnatural storm. Buildings were uprooted from their foundations and chilling, maniacal laughter filled the air. Even now, Homura still shuddered at the thought of it.

"That's right…" Homura spoke distantly as her mind was still swamped in recollection, "May 1 is the cultural festival's new date. That's all there is to it." She took a deep breath and clenched her fists as she forced herself out of her own memories, "It will be a festival - nothing more."

Mami turned to Homura with a look of concern, puzzled by the time-traveler's cryptic words. Homura had always been an elusive person to begin with, but Mami noticed that she had been especially tense as of late. Before Mami could ask any more questions, the time-traveler made her exit and started heading out of the park.

"Akemi-san…?" Mami tried to call out to her, "We can still have tea at my place - it's just across the street."

"Count me out for now, Mami-san." Homura said, bidding farewell to her ally with her back turned, "I just remembered a few things I need to handle before I forget."

"Akemi-san…" Mami repeated, but she stopped herself halfway. It was clear that her words wouldn't reach Homura after all - not when she was heading off on her own like she always did. Thus, she looked up to the half moon in the starless sky and tried to search for what Homura saw in the heavens. Then, she mused, "What does May 1 have to do with Hideyoshi-san?"

…

Meanwhile, in the bedroom of the Miki household's apartment unit, Sayaka Miki was sitting on the wooden floor and leaning against the side of her bed. She was sitting in silence, burying her face into a soft blue pillow in shame. The pink curtains that were draped over her bedroom windows filtered out the silver light of the half moon and cast a pale pink hue over her, reflecting off of the fortissimo pin of her hair.

Ever since her encounter with Homura and her circle on the stone bridge of the _Hanasou_ , Sayaka had holed herself up in the confines of her room. The blue-haired girl stayed seated there at the side of her bed, paralyzed by a terrible weight in her heart. Looking over the sorry girl from the nightstand nearby was a small picture frame of Sayaka standing at the gates of her elementary school. Madoka was standing at her side and the two of them were holding hands. It was the same picture that hung on the staircase of the Kaname household - the picture of young Sayaka in tears.

Sayaka was at a loss for words, casting a blank stare at the dim photograph against the light of the moon. Then, a small, unmistakeable silhouette of a scar-ridden creature appeared perched on the windowsill, casting another shadow over Sayaka's eyes.

She raised her darkened eyes up to the silhouette and stood up. She dried off the few tears that had slipped through the seams with the back of her hand and faced the creature with a look of ironclad determination.

With a bitter taste in her mouth and a crumpled brow, she parted the curtains and opened the window.

**To Be Continued**


	8. Allegro Con Fuoco

**Prologue**

_Hanasou Girls' Dormitory_

_2 Kagami Path,_

_8th District, Mitakihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture (14153),_

_April 9, 2088._

Dear mother and Matsuri-chan,

I apologize for the long intervals between our correspondence. It has almost been a month since I left _Oshimahana_ for Mitakihara and yet this is only the second letter I am sending home. Hopefully I will be able to write more letters to the two of you once I get more settled here at the dormitory and once the midterm exams are through. Until then, I pray that this message may suffice for the time being!

How have the two of you fared? Has Matsuri-chan been helping you with the housework, mother? The yard of our home is rather large after all and the grass will only grow faster when the summer sun finally comes. I believe that Matsuri-chan is big enough to use the scythe at least, but I do not know if she can handle the gas lawnmower just yet - that contraption could pull even myself when I did not pay it enough attention after all! Perhaps when Matsuri-chan graduates from elementary, then she might be big enough. For all we know, she may end up to grow bigger than me!

And Matsuri-chan, oh how I wish you could be here with me! I can still remember the nights we spent planning our trip out of Hokkaido to go and see the world, charting up maps and putting up posters from the travel agency that came to town. Mitakihara was our first stop, I recall. From there, we can travel to anywhere we wanted - the whole world would be within reach! Well, I am here now in Mitakihara ahead of you, but I shall take you here someday to see it with your own eyes. That is my promise to you, my dearest sister!

Anyways, do you still remember the friends I told you about in my first letter - the ones who live with me in the Hanasou Girls' Dormitory? Ligaya-san from the Philippines, Lorelei-san from Germany and my roommate Elise who comes from Strasbourg in France. The four of us are still close as can be - so much so that we (at Lorelei-san's suggestion) started to be known as the ' _Hanasou Girls_ '. Tis' a rather fancy name that could pass for an idol group perchance, but laugh not for I do quite like the sound of it. And listen, as Lorelei-san came up with an even more eccentric name for just herself and Ligaya-san:

' _Thunder Sisters_ '.

' _Thunder Sisters_ ' as in sisters of thunder in English. Tis' a fitting name since the two of them have been inseparable from the moment they met - like clouds and lightning in a stormy sky. The two of them are quite fascinated with engineering and electronics too - what with their bookshelves filled with volumes of Top Gear and Popular Mechanics. They also fancy building a train set in their room in the _Hanasou_ \- a large set that would loop around their room. That would be their version of an alarm clock, the two of them told me. Knowing them, it will be a masterpiece for sure!

Elise and I, on the other hand, do not have any particular name for just the two of us - or at least, Lorelei-san has not yet hatched one yet - but she is the one with whom I spend the most time in the _Hanasou_. We are roommates, yes, but the bond we share runs deeper than that. We see eye to eye on many things and we harbor great respect for each other. She is well-travelled and harbors many stories that she gathered from all around the world, but she does seem to take an interest in my stories about our humble _Oshimahana_. Strasbourg is a small town, Elise says, or at least she likes to think of it as one. This must be why the two of us are like kindred spirits.

Elise and I are each other's confidants because of that. I tell her about the things that weigh on me and she does the same - though I do believe it is I who spills out my heart in our conversations. Elise, on the other hand, is more than happy to be the listener - and she is an excellent one at that. For that alone, I am glad, but there are many more things that I admire about my French roommate as well.

She is a responsible person who, while mum and composed on most matters, takes it upon herself to look after the rest of the _Hanasou_ girls. She has woken us up when we slept through our alarm clocks and has cooked an excellent egg toast for us without breaking a sweat time and again. She even tells us that she will not let us leave without eating breakfast. Lorelei and Ligaya look up to her and call her ' _ate'_ or _'schweste_ r' - an older sister and, frankly, so do I. I feel safe when she is around since I know she will always have our backs.

Mitakihara may be a massive dreadnaught of a town, but Lorelei-san, Ligaya-san and Elise have been godsends.

I have been making some new friends too, by the way, and I would like to introduce them to you! They are friends of Homura Akemi-san whom I met just two weeks ago when Homura-san invited me to one of her friend's house parties. Thanks to her, I met the spirited Kyouko Sakura-senpai, the motherly Mami Tomoe-senpai and the gentle Madoka Kaname-senpai. Kyouko-senpai (as she likes to be called) and Kaname-senpai are both sophomores - classmates of Homura-san in Class 2-1 - while Tomoe-senpai is a third year student in Class 3-4. I only found out recently that Tomoe-senpai and Elise were classmates - and that they were classmates of our student council president too! What a small world we live in, no?

Ever since I met them, I have started to meet with Homura's friends after school. Tomoe-senpai, the oldest of the group, often brings us to her fourteenth-floor maisonette in the Sixth District apartment towers for tea and cakes. She is such a gracious and generous upperclassman who truly enjoys having guests at her home - and she is living with a cousin of hers, Nagisa-chan. Tomoe-senpai's cousin is the cutest little thing, but it has taken quite a long while for her to warm up to me - but I shan't give up!

Kyouko-senpai, on the other hand, loves to take us to the arcades all around town. Her favorite arcade is the one in the Mirai 812 mall - the same mall featured in the postcard I sent home along with my last letter! You see, there is this state-of-the-art rhythm game machine that is notorious for its complex routines - and the top scorer's screen is filled with Kyouko-senpai's name! I have tried to play the game as well (at Kyouko-senpai's insistence) only to find out that I have two left feet. Kyouko-senpai cheered me on and danced with me until the end. It was quite nice of her, really.

Last but not least, Kaname-senpai is the one whom I enjoy being around with the most. She is more than happy to let Kyouko-senpai or Tomoe-senpai choose where we will go for the afternoon, but Kaname-senpai has a certain fondness for parks and gardens. She particularly likes the Ogasawara memorial park across from Tomoe-senpai's apartment as well as the _Hanasou_ 's tiered garden. When we are at these places, Kaname-senpai and I often chat about all sorts of things. There is a certain gravity to Kaname-senpai that I simply cannot grasp, but I feel as if I can speak my mind to her without reservations. It must be the kind, encouraging smile she wears when she listens to you speak. She is a great, pleasant mystery to me.

All in all, I must thank Homura-san again for introducing me to these wonderful friends of her. However, I have seen less and less of Homura-san these past few days. Even her friends say that she has been scarce as of late. Homura-san has always been mysterious and kept to herself to begin with, but that only makes me worry more. She has taken it upon herself to juggle so many roles after all - an officer in Class 2-1, an assistant of Saotome-sensei and an unofficial member of the school's student council. From what I have heard from Kaname-senpai, Homura-san is considering joining the cultural festival committee as well. Kaname-senpai said that she was hatching up something big. I wonder what she meant by that.

Still, with all of the roles that Homura-san has taken up,will she not stretch herself too thin?

Aside from that, there are also a number of things that bother me… though I… I shall write about them in my next letter. They are trivial matters after all, but they may take rather long... and I have already written you a novel to read, dear mother and Matsuri-chan. Elise is also egging me on about breakfast - we are having her egg toast again, our favorite!

I will write to the two of you again. Until then, stay safe.

With all my love,

_Michi Hideyoshi_

…

The careful columns of characters meticulously written on a sheet of paper swayed back and forth as the sheet rustled in a strong, frigid breeze beneath the waning glow of silver moonlight. The breeze picked up in strength and threatened to steal the paper away and hurl it into the dark, starless cosmos, towards the sliver of the half moon that hung unusually close to the ground. The paper stayed put, however, held firmly by the pale hand of the solitary Homura Akemi who was seated on an immaculate, white lawn chair in the heart of a ruined open-air gazebo.

The persistent breeze drew a frown of displeasure from Homura and the bangs of her hair flailed around, casting wild, slender shadows over her eyes. Homura's tight grip on the paper started to crumple it, and wrinkles were starting to form on the uniform of the Mitakihara Junior High School that she wore. Homura then sighed, stood up from her chair and, with her free hand, flipped her hair against the wind with a commanding air. The wind howled for a moment but ceased before long, bending to the raven-haired girl's indomitable will. Homura then brought the sheet of paper, flattened the crumples as best as she could lowered her head as she longingly brought the sheet close to her heart.

It was at this time that the sound of footsteps reached Homura's ear - a pair of brown loafers crossing through cracked, creaking planks. Homura didn't need to look back to know that the person standing behind her wore a condescending smirk. Thus, without turning back, Homura asked in an indifferent tone,

"Were you able to find them?"

"We did find them, just as you said we would." The tone of the girl standing beside her was sugarcoated and haughty but was still anchored in obedience, "Still, going back here for something so trivial…" The girl paused then added with sly emphasis, "It's not like you, Akemi-san."

"Did I ask for your opinion, Ogasawara-san?" Homura lashed coldly, whirling her head to the side and casting a sharp, piercing glare at the person. It was the student council president who, unmoved by Homura's threat, still wore her sugarcoated smile.

"You did not, sweet mistress." The student council president laid a hand over her chest and bowed as she added, "You have my apologies, _noi_."

"Hmph…" Homura dismissively turned away and started to fold the letter neatly, "Then get everybody ready to move out." She then turned her eyes to the periwinkle sky as the first slivers of daylight reflected off of her purple eyes, "It's almost light out - and we have work to do."

The student council president eyed the folded sheet of paper in Homura's hands before giving a second, obedient bow to her mistress. When she straightened her back, her once youthful and saccharine face became pale white, her once caring brown eyes turned into an unnatural melange of green and orange and her pearly white teeth became menacingly sharp as knives. The intimidating creature -a Clara Doll that had taken the place of the student council president - then pronounced a proud phrase,

"Noi! Noi!"

Homura listened as the creature behind her marched down the stairs of the gazebo and her menacing chant was soon joined by a handful of others - girls and ladies with the faces of wild-eyed monsters. Homura slid the folded letter into her uniform's right-hand pocket and. when the Clara Dolls were well out of earshot, she patted the letter in her pocket. Alone once again, she turned back to the lone white lawn chair in the heart of the battered gazebo, standing in the midst of a shattered table and the remains of eight other chairs sprawled out lifelessly on the ground. Homura crossed through the scene and carefully approached the lone white chair, minding her steps in the same way one would in a cemetery. When she stood before the chair, she then solemnly whispered,

"I'll be taking my leave."

She then produced a small, chipped glassy cube that glowed in a faint, fluttering turquoise blue light and placed it on the seat of the lawn chair, giving the cube and the chair a tense bow. With that, she carried on down the staircase and followed the Clara Doll through a vast field of grass caked in ash and soot. She regarded the backdrop of a forest of charred, dead trees in the distance whose branches shifted from the weight of countless black birds that perched on them. When Homura drew close, the black birds took to the sky and drew long, harrowing trails of black in the periwinkle sky, dropping countless black feathers in their wake that fluttered down to the ash-caked meadow.

Homura tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and revealed the bright, purple earring that she wore. When she did, the provident wind that she silenced blew again and sent a torrent of black feathers that surrounded her and hid her from view. When the wind settled and the feathers dispersed, Homura was gone without a trace.

* * *

_April 16, 2088 - Friday_

As the first daylight illuminated the horizon over the apartments of the Fourth Mitakihara District, Sayaka Miki looked up from the window of her family's fourth-floor maisonette to the same periwinkle sky as Homura Akemi. She too was already clad in her school uniform but she was in no hurry to go to school. Instead, her eyes were fixated on a spot in the heavens just off of the faint trace of the morning star.

Dull grey clouds were coming from the south, creeping steadily through the horizon and gradually blocking Sayaka's view of the heavens. Frustration set in as she tore her eyes from the heavens, but a faint seed of determination sprouted in her heart as she leaned forward and stuck her head out of her open bedroom window. A provident wind greeted her as it passed by, rousing her determination even more. She pulled back and reached over to her nightstand where she picked up her golden fortissimo hairpin. With solemn resolve, she set the pin in her hair and muttered reflectively,

"Fortissimo means 'really loud', right, Madoka?"

From the right pocket of her uniform, Sayaka fished out a small powder blue-colored paper charm that hung from a charcoal grey thread. She hoisted herself up then carefully tied the paper charm from her window where it swayed gently in the provident wind. Sayaka stepped back once more and watched the charm shimmer for a brief moment with powder blue magic before dissipating unceremoniously without a sound. The blue haired girl then quietly muttered,

"Sorry to disappoint ya'."

With a tired air about her, Sayaka then produced a dozen Grief Cubes filled to the brim with corruption from her uniform's left-hand pocket. She then placed them in a neat line at the edge of the wooden windowpane facing the magnificent view of Tokyo Bay. She knocked lightly on the wooden pane, carefully closed her bedroom window then covered it all with her pink curtains.

Sayaka stayed there for a while and watched the silhouette of her paper charm hanging above and the twelve spent Grief Cubes on the windowpane below. She took a deep breath then turned around, determination budding in her heart.

Then, it started to rain.

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**Allegro Con Fuoco**

* * *

**Seventeenth Act - That's All I Wanted To Hear**

It was a quarter to six in the morning in the quiet darkness of Room 308 of the _Hanasou_ dormitory when the pitter patter of a light drizzle echoed from behind the window beside Elise de Lamarliere's bed. The steady sound of water resounded in the darkness of the room and stirred Elise from her sleep and parted the charcoal grey window curtains as she sat upright on her bed. Cool light illuminated the room as she did and Elise saw the light yet persistent drizzle. Off of the window's glass and off of the raindrops streaking down the window, Elise caught wisps of her own reflection looking right back at her.

The sound of the rain brought her back to two weeks ago - the day when Sayaka Miki appeared at the front door of the _Hanasou_ looking completely out of sorts. The memory of that time still frustrated her and the words that Elise wielded still rang clear in her head. She hadn't seen much of the blue-haired sophomore much since then - nor have anyone else for that matter. Her classmates Mami Tomoe and the student council president Ogasawara who often drop by Class 2-1 said that Sayaka Miki had become more and more detached from school. Sayaka Miki arrived late and was made to stand in the hall often, always with a tired, indifferent blankness in her eyes.

Elise then turned her eyes to the other side of the room where her roommate Michi was still fast asleep. More than that, Elise thought as she watched Michi with concern, her roommate also talked to her about Sayaka Miki a number of times - about how the sophomore acted as if Michi didn't exist. Some way, somehow, Sayaka held an enmity for Michi that she could not understand. The two of them were strangers - what could Sayaka possibly hate Michi for?

As time passed, however, Michi said that she saw less and less of Sayaka when she visited Class 2-1. 'Miki-senpai seemed to be making herself scarce, blending in with the crowds,' was what Michi told Elise just last night. At least she wasn't troubling her and Michi much anymore, Elise replied in thought, silver lining in the clouds. She regarded the peaceful sleeping face of her roommate and smiled in relief.

"That's all that matters, right" Elise mused to herself as she dutifully fixed her bed then quietly made her way out of the bedroom, nodding to her sleeping roommate as she passed her by. Elise was still wearing her conservative lilac duster adorned with fleurs-de-lis when she climbed the stairs to the ground floor and headed to the _Hanasou_ 's common kitchen. There, she came across a most unusual sight.

Lorelei and Ligaya were already there at the kitchen ahead of her, huddled around the toaster as they waited for their bread to pop out. The two of them were also also already wearing their school uniforms as early as a quarter past six. One of the reasons why Lorelei and Ligaya could call themselves the _Thunder Sisters_ , at least in Elise's mind, is how the two of them rush so vigorously nearly every morning and dash to school in a storm. Elise chuckled lightly. She made sure never to tell the two of them about it.

"Ah, _guten morgen, meine freund_!" Lorelei greeted as she tore her attention away from the toaster, beaming at Elise and waving to her with teflon tongs.

"Morning, Elise." Ligaya greeted with a quick nod before turning her attention back to the toaster. The Filipina girl was drinking a chilled can of orange juice as she watched the ticking toaster like a hunter eyeing her prey. Did she really need to concentrate that much to toast some bread?

"Good morning, you two." Elise then greeted as she dispelled her curiosity for the time being - or at least as much as she could, "It's rare for the two of you to be up this early."

"We can be awake early some of times!" Ligaya replied cheerfully in her broken, albeit improving Japanese, "Lorelei and I - we got hungry too, so we make breakfast. Big breakfast!"

"That's right, that's right." Lorelei vigorously agreed before stepping aside. With a proud grin, she folded her arms and declared, "Behold! The Towers of Babybel!"

Elise blinked once, then a second time before Lorelei's and Ligaya's latest creation registered in her mind. Beside the proud German girl was a small stack of four grilled cheese sandwiches, a far cry from the 'tower' that Lorelei had so eagerly dubbed it - and yet the two girls were proud as could be! When she stopped to think about it, however, she realized that she shouldn't have been surprised. These two carefree girls, the _Thunder Sisters_ , were living life to the fullest day by day to the point that she was almost jealous. Rather than quip as she always did, she simply wore an encouraging smile and said,

"It looks good. It smells good too - you melted some good cheeses and you baked some good bread too."

"We're glad you think so!" Lorelei smiled back, absolutely pleased. Ligaya too shot Elise a quick grin before she focused on the toaster once more. The German girl then grinned, "We didn't bake the bread though - we bought it from that super deli at the mall. They have everything over there!"

"Is that so?" Elise said as she started the coffee maker and drew a lilac cup from the cupboards, "So do tell me you two - why are the two of you already dressed?"

"Ah, well Ligaya and I are going to school early today." Lorelei clicked her tongs happily, "We haven't told Michi yet, but we're joining the Cultural Festival planning committee."

"There is morning meeting at the school." Ligaya promptly added. Her eyes were still focused on the toaster but her excitement was painted in her voice, "Only two weeks left - so everyone preparing everything already!"

Only two weeks left? Elise's eyes shot to the digital calendar posted on the kitchen wall and saw May 1, 2088 prominently highlighted. Oh right, Elise thought, the Cultural Festival was already coming up. Her mind had been swamped by so many other things that she had already forgotten about it. She felt as if she had been going through the past few weeks on autopilot, drowning in her thoughts. Thankfully, Elise thought as she looked out the kitchen window, the rain was starting to fade.

"Well then, I wish the two of you luck." Elise then said with a mustered smile as she carefully set her coffee grounds and water in the coffee maker, "If it's the two of you, I'm sure you'll pull off something interesting." She folded her arms and added, "Make this a great cultural festival for everyone."

"It'll be like a dream, Elise!" Lorelei hummed confidently, seconded eagerly by Ligaya. The toaster then chimed and the _Thunder Sisters_ started working on the next layer of the 'Tower of Babybel'. Elise too set the coffee maker in motion and then excused herself from the kitchen while she waited.

The dying sound of the rain drew Elise to the _Hanasou_ 's foyer where she could see the rain swept tiered garden beneath the dampening grey. It looked like a painting, Elise thought, one that she had seen before but she couldn't remember who the artist was or where she saw it. And yet, she had a clear image of that painting she thought she saw. Sometimes, she saw it in her dreams.

In one of the few times that she confided with Michi, she described that recurring dream of hers. She saw an infinite gallery that stretched out infinitely to the left and to the right. Myriads of paintings were hanging on the handsome mahogany walls - all of them aligned in some order she couldn't fathom. She would then hear a lone pair of footsteps approaching her, but the sound echoed so perfectly that she couldn't tell from where the sound came. Then when she whirled around in fright, she wakes up.

Elise gazed upon the painting-like scenery beyond the windows of the _Hanasou_ foyer, hoping to find some clue to that recurring mystery but to no avail. The French girl sighed and was about to turn away when she noticed the silhouette of a powder blue umbrella approaching, bobbing up and down as its owner climbed up the concrete steps of the tiered garden. Then, she caught a shimmer of light reflecting off of a golden fortissimo hairpin.

The solitary figure of Sayaka Miki in the dying rain approached the front door of the _Hanasou_. Elise scoffed and considered heading back to the kitchen, but Sayaka's eyes met hers and the blue-haired girl waved to her. The French girl sighed and opened the _Hanasou_ 's door.

"Ah, it was not supposed to rain today…" Sayaka complained with a forced laugh as she took shelter beneath the _Hanasou_ 's awning, but she kept her distance from the open door and the tall, red-haired French girl standing guard behind it. She meticulously retracted her umbrella then tapped it on the poured concrete floor before she turned to Elise with a polite, "Good morning."

"Likewise." Elise spoke with reserved caution, "What business do you have here?"

"You." Sayaka promptly replied, catching Elise by surprise as she quickly got down to business, "I put my thoughts in order just like you asked me to and I'm here to see you and to apologize." She then rhythmically tapped her wet umbrella on the concrete again as she added, "It's been two weeks, I know - but I had a lot of thoughts to put in order. I still do, actually."

"I appreciate the gesture, Miki-san. Thank you." Elise spoke with a hint of relief, but her tone remained firm, "But forgiveness does not come just like that. I still cringe when I remember what you said and did at the auditorium… but, in time, we may probably be able to put this behind us." The French girl folded her arms and asked, "Does that sound fair to you?"

"That's all I wanted, Eri… I mean, Duramayue-senpai." Sayaka gave a gracious bow, "Thanks for listening to me."

This was new, Elise thought. The blue-haired girl standing before her seemed to have regained some of her vitality and her eyes, while still noticeably tired, were no longer blank and lifeless.

"Very well, then why don't you come on inside?" Elise offered, stepping aside from the threshold, "I was just in the middle of brewing some coffee, and you look like you could use a hot drink." She then looked up to the grey sky and said, "You can wait out the rain too."

"It's alright Duramayue-senpai, thanks." Sayaka politely refused as she tapped her umbrella on the floor again. She then stopped and rested both hands on the handle of her umbrella and explained, "I have to go to school early and I was just passing by."

"Alright." Elise said with finality as she extended her hand to the blue-haired girl. Sayaka cordially shook Elise's hand then turned around to pop open her powder blue umbrella. Just as Elise was about to close the door, Sayaka turned around said,

"Wait a sec, before I forget." The blue haired girl reached into her school bag with her free hand and fished out a small, powder blue paper charm hanging from a charcoal grey thread. She handed it to Elise and said, "Here's a peace offering from me - I made this just for you. I'd like you to take it."

Elise raised her brow as she regarded the charm before she cautiously accepted it. She thanked Sayaka with a nod and sent the blue-haired girl on her way. The French girl slipped the paper charm into the pocket of her duster then stepped back into the foyer. When she turned around though, Elise saw the stocky figure of the _Hanasou_ 's middle aged prefect who was walking over to where she stood.

"Duramayue." The prefect called Elise's attention with a husky voice, "Were you talking to somebody just now?"

"I was." Elise said firmly, turning to look outside the window, "She left just now and is on her way out."

The prefect grunted and took a look outside the window, so Elise curiously followed suit. There was nobody in the large tiered garden. Sayaka Miki was gone without a trace.

"In any case, Duramayue…" The prefect said as she handed Elise a pair of mailing slips, "Something just came in for you and Hideyoshi. Go take a look at it if you have the time."

* * *

**First Interlude**

Under the awning of the _Hanasou_ dormitory's front door, Ligaya de la Cruz popped open her large black umbrella then brought it up to shield herself from the weakening rain. Lorelei Sankt followed behind her, gave Ligaya a gracious nod before happily joining her beneath the black umbrella. The German girl was carrying a pearl white lunchbox wrapped in olive green cloth that she held on with a hint of pride. With that, the two girls set off into the rain with wings on their feet.

Lorelei and Ligaya walked briskly, excited for their first committee meeting - and to eat their savory, cheesy creation at the said meeting. They breezed through the _Hanasou's_ tiered garden, crossed its stone bridge and stepped into the tree-lined path to school. The atmosphere around them was warm and lively - so much so that it didn't seem to them like it was raining at all where they walked. Half way through their walk, even the weather seemed to agree with them and the weak drizzle finally came to pass - to Lorelei's and Ligaya's delight. And as the Filipina was retracting her umbrella, they came across a trio of fellow travelers on the road - a golden-haired senior and a pink-haired sophomore who carried their own umbrellas and a little white-haired girl who was happily taking shelter beneath them both.

The white-haired girl noticed the Filipina and the German nearby, pausing for a moment as a complex expression fell upon her. After a short moment of thought, however, the little girl quickly lit up like a bulb with excitement as she always did.

"Ah, it's the onee-sans from the mall!" Nagisa happily piped as she trotted over to the German and the Filipina, "You're _Lorelei_ - _neesan_ and _Ligaya-neesan_ , right?"

"Oh my!" Lorelei was pleasantly surprised, as she greeted the girl with a gentle pat on the head, "You remembered us!"

"That's amaze! You have very good memory!" Ligaya gushed, unhindered by her still improving Japanese as she turned to the girl. She then placed her hand on her chin as she tried to rack her brains, "You are… uh… Na-gisa, if I remember..."

"That's right, Ligaya-neesan!" The little girl said supportively, "I'm Nagisa Momoe - 10 years old - studying at Mitakihara Elementary!" She then beamed with joy, "It's good to see you again, Lorelei-neesan, Ligaya-neesan."

"Same here, Nagisa." Lorelei grinned back, doting over the little child, "Have you been a good girl like we asked you to?"

"I have, I have!" Nagisa gave a lively nod, "I didn't stray from the path like you said either!"

"Did we say that?" Ligaya tilted her head, trying to recall her words.

Nagisa opened her mouth as if she was about to say something but mindfully stopped herself halfway. The little girl's bright orange eyes shifted left then right, scanning the canopies of the trees for something. Lorelei and Ligaya grew curious but then the little girl stopped, gave them a reassuring smile and changed the topic.

"By the way Lorelei-neesan, Ligaya-neesan," Nagisa stepped aside, revealing her two companions who were closing up their own umbrellas, "I'd like you two to meet my cousin Mami and my dear Madoka-neesan!"

"Mami Tomoe, I'm from Class 3-4." The golden-haired girl came forward confidently and knowingly extended her hand to Lorelei, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, _Frau_ … i mean Tomoe-senpai." Lorelei warmly shook Mami's hand in the same way one would greet a celebrity, "If I remember correctly, you're Elise's classmate."

"Yes, and I am a good acquaintance of Hideyoshi-san as well." Mami said with a polite smile as she shook Ligaya's free hand this time. She then turned to the two freshmen then said, "Hideyoshi-san and De Lamarliere-san have spoken about the two of you - the _Thunder Sisters_ of the Hanasou, am I correct?"

Lorelei and Ligaya promptly gasped and turned each other when they heard this. The two of them then joined hands and raised the cloth-wrapped lunchbox as they were about to burst with glee.

"Tomoe-senpai knows our name!" The two girls proclaimed with absolute excitement.

"My, my." Mami commented pleasantly as she watched the two freshmen's happy commotion. The golden-haired girl then spoke in a warm tone and said, "I also heard that today was also a big day for the two of you. I hope the two of you win."

Lorelei and Ligaya beamed at Mami's words and gave the third year determined nods. As they did, the pink-haired girl crept shyly forward beside Mami and greeted Lorelei and Ligaya with a kind, albeit bashful smile.

"Um… and I'm M-Madoka Kaname, from class 2-1." Once Madoka said this, her courage welled as she gave the two girls a respectful bow and added, "I'm glad I can finally meet Michi-chan's friends in person."

"It's nice to meet you as well, Kaname-senpai." Lorelei returned Madoka's bow and Ligaya followed suit. The German girl then put her hand on her hip and spoke with amusement, "What a small world we live in, huh?"

"It is, isn't it?" Madoka agreed with a smile, "It's so nice to know we have common friends." The pink-haired girl then joined her hands behind her back and asked, "Hopefully we can all get along as well."

Lorelei and Ligaya cast sidelong glances at each other then they both gave Madoka agreeable grins. A delighted Nagisa watched the scene with joined hands and a smile on her lips. Then, the town bell started to ring in the far distance and the white-haired girl approached the German and the Filipina and asked,

"So, so, Lorelei-oneesan, Ligaya-neesan, are you two going to school early too?"

"We are, Na-gisa." Ligaya happily said in her still accented Japanese, very nearly calling the elementary schoolgirl Filipino stir fry "Lorelei and I are helping cultural festival committee today - meeting is early morning."

"What a coincidence! Kaname-san and I were attending the festival committee as well." Mami remarked with a mild chuckle. She then turned to the white haired girl with a motherly smile, "Nagisa-chan will only sit in for a little while though before she has to go to school herself after all."

"Ehhh, I want to stay! Middle school is so much more fun!" Nagisa complained, pouting childishly. For an elementary student, she seemed awfully interested in a middle school cultural festival planning committee meeting. Ligaya appreciated Nagisa's enthusiasm though, so she spoke.

"Na-gisa-chan," Ligaya squatted before the little girl and faced her with a smile, "What grade are you now?"

"Eh? F-fifth grade." Nagisa stammered, "Why do you ask?"

"So if you do good elementary, you catch up with me and Lorelei." The Filipina grinned now as she patted the little girl's head of white hair, "Then you can call us 'senpai' and go school with us."

The smiling Ligaya continued to ruffle Nagisa's hair, waiting for some sort of response, but there was only silence. Worried, Ligaya retracted her hand and brought her face closer to the suddenly silent child. Nagisa then looked back with the beginnings of tears in her eyes,

"That's a promise, okay?" Nagisa said, wiping those tears as she managed to return a small smile. In a wisp of a whisper, the little girl then mused, "You guys will have to keep your word cause I'll be looking forward to it."

* * *

**Eighteenth Act, First Movement - Like Looking Into A Mirror**

It was half past seven in the morning when the groggy Michi Hideyoshi found herself walking through the storeroom beneath the spiral staircase of the _Hanasou_ dormitory. She was following the stocky figure of the dormitory prefect who was droning on about delivery protocols to the dorm but none of that seemed to register with the Hokkaido native. Instead, her eyes were fixated on the small delivery slip she held in her hands that Elise gave just a while ago. The slip bore her name and the _Hanasou_ 's address, but the sender was unfamiliar to her.

'J. Plata from 8 Calle Escolta, Binondo District, Manila, Philippines.' Michi read the slip again and again but none of it seemed to ring a bell - not the name, nor the address. The half-asleep freshman wasn't quite sure if she should accept a delivery like this. She would have normally turned it down, but when Elise gave her her slip, there was an air of seriousness about her that convinced Michi to at least reconsider. Now, still in her pajamas and with her straight hairr a little frizzy, she was being shown to the very end of the cramped storeroom. There, two peculiar things were waiting for Michi - a small wooden box about the size of a shoebox and a paper-wrapped rectangle that stood almost as tall as the freshman herself.

'What are these things?' Michi wondered as her brow crumpled in thought. Her family in Hokkaido never said they were sending her anything, nor would they have used such a strange alias. Then, aside from Ligaya de la Cruz, she didn't know anyone who lived in the Philippines who would send her such a thing. Even the well-traveled Elise said that she hasn't visited the Philippines yet. Just thinking about all of this made Michi's groggy head spin. Then, she heard footsteps come from behind and the refreshing smell of coffee reached her nose.

"Here you go, Michi." Elise de Lamarliere said as she joined Michi in the storeroom and gave her the cup of coffee, "I thought you might need some after seeing all this."

"Thanks." Michi accepted the cup with a gracious smile. The freshman blew on the steaming cup then took a sip. It was invigoratingly warm but cool enough to drink with no milk and a single cube of sugar stirred in - just the way she always had her coffee. It roused her mind from sleep and she gave a thankful sigh. Elise watched her satisfied roommate's spirits rise and then returned Michi's smile.

"So then, you two," the prefect then said, facing Michi and Elise with arms akimbo, "are you going to accept these packages or not? The box is for Hideyoshi-san while that big one is for Duramayue."

Michi took another sip as she eyed the wooden box considered her options. She still wasn't quite sure about what she wanted to do about it. When she turned her head to face Elise, though, she saw that same look of determination she saw when she was woken up that morning.

"I'm taking my package." Elise then said, moving towards the paper-wrapped enigma without hesitation, "What about you, Michi?"

"I'll…" Michi said, stopping as she ran out of words to say. Her eyes turned from Elise to the prefect, then to her own wooden-cased mystery. Curiosity clashed against suspicion in her mind, furrowing her brow more deeply. She then gulped down the warm, bittersweet coffee to clear her mind before she finally managed to eke out an answer, "I'll... take mine as well."

"Good." The prefect clapped her hands once before rubbing them together and said, "Lock the door on your way out and make sure to wash your cup when you're done, Hideyoshi." She then glanced at her Wristcomm model 88 and added, "And get a move on or you two will be late."

"Thank you very much." Michi and Elise said politely, giving the prefect courteous bows in tandem with Michi taking care not to drop her coffee cup. The prefect left, Michi finished her cup and washed it before the two girls returned to the store room to collect their packages.

The packages both looked heavy but were surprisingly light, Michi noted as the two of them carried them with ease. Carrying those mysterious packages however, weight was the last thing on Michi's mind. The two girls locked the storeroom as they were told then brought their packages to the _Hanasou_ 's elevator, calling for a ride up to the third floor.

"Say, Elise…" Michi asked as she watched the digital sign above the elevator door shift and listened to the hum of heavy machinery awakened by the call, "Why did you accept your package so quickly?"

"Hmm…" Elise hummed thoughtfully for a moment as the elevator dinged and its doors parted open. The two of them brought their packages into the elevator and Elise hit the third floor button before she spoke, "Do you remember that dream I told you about that one time - about the strange, infinite gallery?"

"I do." Michi said, holding her wooden box close to her chest, "Why do you ask?"

"The moment I saw this package, I had a feeling that I already knew what was inside of it." Elise said, patting the crisp brown recycled paper wrapping to make a rustling sound, "It's got to be a painting of some sort. If it's this light, then there's no doubt about it." The French girl's eyes then glanced at the postage stickers on the wrapper and added thoughtfully, "But what kind of painting could it be? And why is this 'J. Plata' sending it to me now?"

Elise's words resounded in the small space of the _Hanasou's_ elevator, matching the focused look in the French girl's eyes that told Michi all that she needed to know. Looking at the profile of Elise's pristine face contorted in thought reminded Michi how she felt just weeks ago when she saw Madoka and Homura wrapped in that curious embrace at the school's connector bridge. Curiosity and suspicion were gnawing at Elise's heart, growing stronger and more merciless with each passing moment. When she realized this, the wooden box in Michi's arms didn't feel as light as it once was. The Japanese freshman then held the box tighter and whispered with empathy,

"I can understand where you're coming from."

An amused hum came slipped from Elise's lips before the French girl whispered back with an earnest, "Thanks."

The elevator chimed as its doors slid open and the two girls stepped out into the hall with their things in tow and a more lighthearted air about them. Throngs of their dorm-mates, mostly third year foreigners who occupied the floor, were already wearing their uniforms and were heading towards the elevator and the spiral staircase. Michi and Elise, still in their nightwear, went against the flow and made their way back to their room at the middle of the hall.

The two girls entered the room and closed the door behind them, muffling the din of the _Hanasou_ 's morning rush as they set down their packages. Sunlight flowed in from their room's two windows with their curtains pulled back as they started to open their mysterious packages from 'J. Plata' in absolute, focused silence.

Michi managed to open her box first, opening it with relative ease as the cover slid off in one fell swoop. A bed of packaging paper shreds greeted her, wrapping snugly around a large, turquoise blue ceramic flask and a pair of matching ceramic cups - a traditional sake set at first glance. Michi squinted in disbelief - who would give someone like her, a minor residing in a middle school's dormitory a sake set? The flask itself was full too. If the prefect saw that, she would have confiscated it in a heartbeat and would have booked a harsh demerit or two to Michi's record. When Michi turned the flask in her hand, however, she saw the label meticulously painted and was shocked - it was the signature of the local brewery in her hometown.

"So what did you get?" Elise asked from across the room as she sat down on her own swivel chair and started to unwrap her own package, "Is it something nice?"

"It's amazake…" Michi mused as she pulled the cork, swirled its contents and took a sniff of the aroma. It smelled sweet and light she noted as she recalled its name, " _Oshimahana_ amazake."

Michi returned the cork back to cover the amazake flask and before setting it on the table along with its two cups. Looking at the three ceramic pieces rang a dull bell in Michi's mind as she racked her mind to try and understand the strange present. She remembered her family having a similar flask at home with the exact same brand of amazake. She remembered sharing a cup of the sweet, refreshing drink with her mother and her little sister during the summer festivals in the _Oshimahana_ valley, and again when they welcomed the new year with high spirits. Michi appreciated the gift, at the very least, but she wondered why it would have come from the Philippines of all places.

With a sigh, Michi put aside her new amazake set and turned her eyes to the other side of the room where her roommate had gone silent. An air of tension hung about Elise as she held the paper-wrapped package with both hands, closing her eyes as she quietly tried to gather her strength.

"... Elise?" Michi started, concern painted in her voice.

Elise felt the weight of Michi's gaze on her back, then she felt her resolve swell in her heart. She opened her eyes and, with one swift motion, pulled away the paper wrapping. Stripped of its veil, a worn, dusty canvas appeared before Elise and Michi behind her.

It was an oil painting, Michi noted, as she pulled her swivel chair closer to Elise's. Strokes of cool colors dominated the frame, drawing a scene of a pristine river in the fall, illuminated by silver moonlight. The outline of a small village sleeping in the midnight hour flanked the river on both sides in the distance while an ancient, towering _platanus hispanica_ tree stood guard by the river at the fore.

"That looks quite nice." Michi commented with awe as she turned to Elise with a smile, "Do you want to hang it up?"

"No… not yet." Elise said, shaking her head as she rolled the paper wrapping into a ball and tossed into the nearby wastebasket. She then set the painting on her desk and said, "This painting is incomplete."

"Incomplete?" Michi asked, tilting her head as she leaned forward.

"Come, look closely." Elise then said as she took Michi by the hand and coaxed her out of her swivel chair. The Japanese freshman was caught off guard, but she let her roommate guide her closer to the painting. The French girl then pointed to the canvas and gave her knowledgeable judgement, "It looks fine from afar, but you'll start to see that the tones are a bit off and the strokes are too broad." Elise's tone, however, seemed to waver somewhat as she continued, "Then… there's this spot beneath the tree where the paint is light. It's as if the painter was planning to place something there - a person perhaps?"

Michi listened closely as Elise gave her verdict on the painting, but then she realized that the French girl had been holding her hand all of this time as she did. Thinking about it made Michi feel a little embarrassed, but at the same time, she felt Elise's hand grow cold and tremble as she spoke. Then, Elise lowered her head solemnly and squeezed Michi's hand as she whispered with strange compassion, "The paint isn't very old. You can tell… you can tell that whoever made this was rushing to finish it, but somehow never got around to it - or never got around to."

"Elise…" Michi spoke in a concerned whisper.

"It's not the story of the painter that scares me... " Elise then spoke, pausing more often now as a wave of emotion swept through her voice, "I'm… I'm afraid of… just how well I can understand it." With the beginnings of tears in her eyes, she gazed on that spot in the painting beneath the tree and croaked, "It's like looking into a mirror."

Michi was at a loss of words. It wasn't very often when Elise confided in her, but when she did, Michi was always at a loss of words. What words could she say when someone with a silver tongue in multiple languages like Elise couldn't speak? Thus, without any words to say, Michi simply squeezed Elise's hand right back with reassuring strength. The gesture startled Elise for a moment, but the two of them stayed there and stood before the strange painting and holding hands in absolute silence as the din of the busy hall beyond the door died down.

After a moment or two, Elise's grip finally loosened and she let go of Michi's hand.

"I've decided." Elise said as she wiped the tears in the sides of her eyes, "I'll restore this painting - and I'll finish it." Determination welled as she laid a hand over her heart and swore, "I'll make sure of it."

When Elise said this, Michi took a second look at the worn and dusty painting and a strange yet familiar anticipation grew in her heart. It was as if she had heard those very same words somewhere in the past - an old promise from a time long gone. It brought a heartening smile to Michi's lips as she spoke without a second thought, "I'll look forward to it, Elise."

As the two of them faced each other, the distant chime of the school bell which rang eight times. The girls looked at each other and the sleepwear they were still wearing and silence fell upon the room once again. The school gates were closing in fifteen minutes and homeroom was going to start in thirty, Michi said, but neither of them started to fret. Instead, the two of them burst into a lighthearted giggle as they fell back into their swivel chairs and heaved resigned sighs. Michi and Elise helped each other put the painting away and started to slip into their school uniforms in their usual, thoughtfully unhurried pace.

The digital clock that hung from the wall looked down and cast its faint, powder blue light upon them, warning them of the time but neither of them paid it any heed. The girls straightened out their uniforms, filled their school bags and brushed their hair until not a strand was out of place. They went through their morning routines by the letter and without haste. Then they set off to school together side by side and shared only a few words along the path, but the two girls were walking a little bit closer together than ever before.

* * *

**Second Interlude**

It was close to half past eight in the morning when little Nagisa Momoe emerged from the threshold of the Mitakihara Junior High School's auxiliary building with a twinkle in her orange eyes, smile on her lips littered with breadcrumbs and a half-eaten cheese sandwich from Lorelei's and Ligaya's venerable ' _Tower of Babybel_ '. With two large, hungry bites, the small child devoured the sandwich and she gave off a satisfied sigh as she wiped her lips with the back of her hand. She then adjusted the straps of her backpack and then set off into the school courtyard where the last few students were making a beeline to the main school building as the crisp _Westminster_ chime played through the speakers. It was times like these that Nagisa thanked her lucky stars for being in elementary school, she thought as she joined the sparse crowd. Her school started half an hour later than middle school, and it was just across the street from the middle school.

Nagisa made her way through the courtyard and passed through the terracotta-tiled path that ran along the eastern fence of the middle school campus on her way to the rear entrance then onwards to her school across the street. The fence of Mitakihara Junior High School fascinated the little child, not because of the strange balance of its wrought iron frames and thick sheets of semi-opaque tempered glass, but because of the strange presence that she felt about the walls. Nagisa wiped the breadcrumbs off of her hands as she casually mused,

"It's stronger than before, huh?"

Captivated by the strange fence, the little girl walked straight into a middle school student and was knocked over to the side. Nagisa fell on her rear and her backpack's poorly-closed cover popped open. Her thick history textbook slid out onto the terracotta, along with a light purple script book that read 'Hyouka Tabemasu'. Beside her books fell a small carton of vending machine melon milk that, thankfully, spilled what little was left of its contents away from Nagisa's things.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" Nagisa promptly apologized as she picked herself up with a grunt, "I was looking out the fence and I didn't see you there…"

The little girl then stopped, and her heart skipped a beat as she came face to face with the girl she bumped into. It was Sayaka Miki.

"Don't worry about it, kid." The blue-haired sophomore said as she adjusted her schoolbag slung over her shoulder, revealing three similar paper charms hanging from charcoal grey threads tied to the strap, "I wasn't paying attention either. And don't worry about the melon milk - I was almost done with it anyways."

"Ah… uhm…" Nagisa was at a loss for words, wondering what she should do or say. The blue-haired girl wore a cordial smile and was rather polite, but the little girl couldn't help but feel that something was off with her. Sayaka was still cheerful as always, but the perceptive Nagisa could tell that there was something weighing down on her behind that thick veil. Before Nagisa could think about it, however, the blue-haired girl's eyes fell upon Nagisa's things sprawled out on the floor.

"Here, let me help you with your things." Sayaka said as she squatted down to pick up the textbook and the script, "Turn around - I'll put them in your bag for you."

"Uhm… alright…" Nagisa conceded, turning around as Sayaka picked up her things. The elementary-schooler felt the sophomore swiftly put the heavier history textbook back into her backpack, but she seemed to take her time when it came to the play script. Sayaka stuffed the play script back into Nagisa's backpack before long and closed its buckles with crisp, clicks.

"There you go." Sayaka said with finality, sending Nagisa off with a pat on her backpack.

"Ah… thanks." Nagisa muttered weakly before she gave Sayaka a deep, apologetic bow. The little girl then rushed out of the middle school campus, running as fast as her feet would take her.

* * *

**Eighteenth Act, Second Movement - Well, If You Insist!**

Later that afternoon, in the dimly-lit glass classroom of Class 1-2, Michi Hideyoshi and her classmates quietly sat at their desks and watched with awe as their usually mousy history teacher and class adviser, Kazuko Saotome gave an unusually spirited lecture. Her topic that afternoon was The Meeting at the Elbe and the bright, formless screen behind her showed the famous picture of the two soldiers of the US Army and the Soviet Red Army with hands cordially clasped and with arms around each other's shoulder. Saotome-sensei seemed to be rather fond of the photo, speaking in great length about the event and the hopefulness of the world at the end of the Second World War. Neither Michi nor her other classmates sitting through the teacher's lecture had quite as much enthusiasm as Saotome-sensei, but Michi did appreciate its story rather well.

"Elbe Day - when the East met the West at the banks of the grand river." Saotome spoke with bright flourish, whipping her pointer to the picture behind her, "It was a wonderful but forgotten page in an otherwise tense chapter of our history." The teacher looked out to her audience, the freshmen students of Class 1-2 from all over the world, "It was a glimpse of what could have been, and what your grandparents and the grandparents of your grandparents could have wished for - peace in their time."

Michi dutifully wrote down her notes as best as she could in the darkness as Saotome-sensei lectured on, but the Hokkaido native's mind did wander to the past. Thinking about Saotome-sensei's lecture, she realized how little time she got to spend with her grandparents and how she never got to ask them about the past; about the first man on the moon, or the first _Shinkansen_ train line and the day the Berlin Wall fell. It must have been a fascinating time to be alive, Michi thought as she reined in her fond daydream.

The school's _Westminster_ chime sounded from the PA system once more and the students of Class 1-2 heaved a sigh of relief. Saotome-sensei then wore a defeated if not sympathetic smile, turned on the lights and then wrapped up her lesson. The teacher then called for the class president to give the final greeting. The girl seated to Michi's left, the ever-cheerful yet genteel German girl, then promptly stood up and proudly obliged.

"Rise." The German girl spoke in her perfect Japanese, and Michi and her classmates rose.

"Bow." Lorelei then said, and the whole class followed.

"Class dismissed." Saotome-sensei finally declared as the formless screen behind her and the picture of the Elbe Day handshake on it disappeared.

The students of Class 1-2 then started to break off into their own groups, packing up their things and chatting with lighthearted cheer. Michi also sat down to fix her things when she heard Lorelei Sankt, still standing in attention, heaving a satisfied sigh.

"My, my, that was more exciting than I thought it would be." The German girl said as she laid a hand over her heart, "This will take some getting used to."

"I think you're doing a fine job, Lorelei-san." Michi said earnestly as she packed her things, "Everyone in class trusts you and you're well-respected here and in the other first year classes, so I think it suits you." The Hokkaido native then smiled and said, "It's why you became the Class President."

"Ah, you really do know what to say, huh Michi?" Lorelei grinned a tinge more brightly than before, "I sure do hope it'll all come to me eventually - but I guess I shouldn't be worried." The German girl turned to her Filipina roommate across the room by the doorway, happily talking with her seatmates with her choppy Japanese, "Ligaya's my VP after all, and you've been supporting the two of us all the way. With you guys at my side, I feel like I can do anything!"

"I'll always be on your side - that's my promise to the two of you." Michi gave a reassuring nod from her seat and eagerly said, "Just tell me how I can help and I'll do my best, okay? I still have a lot of time on my hands after all…" The Japanese freshman then spoke in a more tender tone, "I feel like I can do so much more, after all."

The German girl snickered lightheartedly before smiling again at Michi to say, "You're already helping us lots, _meine schwester!_ Though, if you really want to help…" Lorelei sat down at her desk then hummed happily as she rummaged through her school bag. She then pulled out an olive green notebook and handed it to Michi with a grin, "Could you help me write the script for our skits? Ligaya and I have the technical stuff down for our radio booth, and everyone already has their shifts to help us man the booth, but we don't have a show without a good script!"

"The script, huh?" Michi looked at the notebook in Lorelei's hands as she considered the job. The Hokkaido native kept a diary and she enjoyed writing letters to her family back in _Oshimahana_ , but she never wrote a script before, then she saw the expectant look in Lorelei's eyes and she chuckled, "I would be happy to."

The Japanese freshman took the notebook then started to read through the skits that Lorelei had already started, only to find out that she had been writing part of it in German and part of it in Filipino. Lorelei stuck out her tongue and promised to translate them for Michi later on. Luckily, there were small, chibi drawings of Ligaya and herself scattered about the pages that gave Michi an idea of what was going on. On top of that, she was able to read the title of the show that was spelled out in English:

'The Thunder Sisters' Show' Michi quietly read out.

"Yup, that's right!" Lorelei spoke with delight as she imagined their radio show play out in her head, "I want the show to be lighthearted - something that everyone can enjoy." The German then wore a kindly smile and then added, "Plus, I managed to convince Ligaya to co-host the show with me - this is a good chance for her to polish her Japanese."

"Is that so?" Michi smiled back appreciatively as she closed the notebook then carefully placed it in her bag, "I'll do my best then."

"Ehehe, I'll be counting on you, _meine schwester_." The German girl tipped her cloth hat to Michi before turning her attention to her own things, and the Japanese freshman followed suit. Then, it was at this time that Ligaya sauntered over from the front row of the class to Michi's and Lorelei's nook at the back with a giddy air about her.

"Guys, hurrying up! It's weekend already!" Ligaya's still improving Japanese was less filtered when she was excited like this, "There's international special at _Mirai_ 812 mall and I want get for all of us!" The Filipina then turned to Michi happily and asked, "Do you want to come with us, Michi?"

"Sorry, you two, but I might have to pass up on this week." Michi apologized with a forced, flimsy smile. She reached into the pocket of her school uniform and drew out a small purple slip, "Elise and I got booked for tardiness, so we'll have to go to the faculty lounge after school."

"Tardiness!?" Lorelei and Ligaya gasped. The Thunder Sisters were surprised and rightfully so - the reliable Elise and the dutiful Michi was the last people they'd expect to get demerits for tardiness. Neither the French senior nor the Japanese freshman said anything during lunch either, so the observant Lorelei folded her arms and hummed,

"The two of you have been getting along quite well lately." Lorelei played with a curl of her golden hair that poked out from the brim of her cloth cap. She then wore a crafty grin and asked, "Did something nice happen this morning?"

"Well… I wouldn't know if it was something nice…" Michi minced her words as she looked back to earlier that morning when they unwrapped their mysterious packages together in absolute silence. A small, fond smile then formed on her lips as held her right hand in her left and said, "But I guess it was nice, in a way."

"I see." Lorelei snickered knowingly, "Then it was worth it."

"Eh? What was?" The innocent Ligaya tilted her head as Lorelei's and Michi's exchange flew right over her head, "What was nice thing that happen?"

"Now, now, let's not pry any more, _meine schwester_." Lorelei snickered as she rose up from her seat then wrapped an arm over Ligaya's shoulder. She then turned to Michi and said, "Well, I hope Saotome-sensei goes easy on you two. Ligaya and I will buy something for the two of you at the mall - so you can at least look forward to that."

"Thanks, guys." Michi smiled thankfully. The two girls then bid farewell and then left the classroom together in high spirits. Once the lively Thunder Sisters left, Michi saw the mousy Kazuko Saotome waiting for her at the teacher's desk with a friendly smile.

"Shall we go, Hideyoshi-san?" She asked Michi as she gestured the Hokkaido native over.

Michi nodded then zipped her bag, patting it to feel the outline of the olive green notebook that Lorelei gave her. She then stood up and followed the mousy teacher out of Class 1-2.

* * *

**Eighteenth Act, Third Movement - We're Happy To Have You!**

"Sorry for dragging you out on a Friday afternoon, Hideyoshi-san." Saotome-sensei spoke apologetically as she and Michi walked down the hallway of the main building's freshman wing, "But you do know that rules are rules - they're there for a reason."

"Of course, sensei." Michi replied with a reasonable tone as she felt the purple tardy slip bearing her name in her hands, "We were half an hour late, after all. We'll have to face the consequences."

"I'm glad you understand, Hideyoshi-san." Saotome-sensei smiled with relief before she spoke with a curious tone, "Though I was worried - you and Duramayue-san are good students with clear records. Is there anything bothering the two of you?"

"Ah…" Michi turned away from the teacher's bespectacled gaze as she chose her words carefully, "N-nothing at all, sensei. It's just that Elise and I had something important to take care of right away. We both promised to take responsibility for it."

A glimmer of nostalgia lit up in Saotome-sensei's eyes as she wore a smile, "You and Duramayue-san are good friends, huh?"

"Eh?" Michi tilted her head, not quite hearing what the teacher said.

"I was just thinking out loud." Saotome-sensei chuckled as she adjusted her glasses. The two of them then started to climb up the main building's grand spiral staircase where their footsteps echoed crisply, "So Hideyoshi-san, how goes your class' preparations for the Cultural Festival?" She wore a knowing smile as she asked, "Are you going to have a role in Sankuto-san's and Derakuruzu-san's _Thunder Sisters' Show_?"

The bespectacled teacher seemed rather excited to hear her answer, Michi thought. Saotome was the class adviser of Class 1-2, but she was also the adviser of Classes 2-1 and 3-4 and the Program Coordinator of the International Student Program - and all of that on top of her role as a history teacher. Yet, Saotome-sensei was earnestly eager to learn everything going on with all of her students. For that, Michi absolutely admired her.

Thus, Michi thoughtfully explained their class' plan for the festival to Saotome-sensei, filling in the gaps for the teacher. She also said that she had been drafted to help write the script for the radio show.

"You'll be a scriptwriter then, huh?" Saotome-sensei remarked happily as her hand brushed on the rails of the spiral staircase, "Just like Akemi-san."

"Akemi-san… meaning Homura-san?" Michi asked in surprise.

"That's right, Homura Akemi." Saotome-sensei nodded as they continued their climb, "I'm not sure if Akemi-san, Kaname-san or Sakura-san have told you yet, but Class 2-1 is also doing a show." The teacher then pointed to one of the purple-colored posters tacked onto the noticeboard at the halfway point landing of the stairs and said, "It's going to be a puppet show."

"A puppet show…" Michi spoke in a wispy, distracted tone as she passed by the purple poster. Her eyes were drawn to the vivid scene of a forest and twelve well-detailed puppets huddled beneath the shade of an ancient weeping willow. She then read the title printed out at the bottom, "Hyouka Tabemasu."

"It was Akemi-san's idea, you see - quite an ambitious project for a sophomore class." The teacher explained as they carried on up the stairs, "This morning, I met with the student council president and the principal of the school and they said they were hoping to make it the centerpiece of the Cultural Festival!" Saotome-sensei then paused and laughed uncomfortably as she seemed to shrink just a little bit, "I'm excited about it, and so is everyone else in Class 2-1, but I wonder if they have enough time to pull it off."

'I'm sure they will!' is what Michi wanted to say in as encouraging a tone as she could muster. Truth be told, however, she was rather mystified. She could feel the pressure weighing on Saotome-sensei's back, and she wondered why Homura would go ahead and take on a project that big. Was she biting off more than she could chew? The Hokkaido native found it strange that she was seeing less and less of Homura and her friends at school, but this ambitious project of hers explained why.

Before Michi could find the words to say, the two of them reached the second floor landing. There, Michi turned to the left towards connector bridge to the auxiliary building, burdened by her thoughts. It took her a while to notice, though, that she was heading to the connector bridge alone.

"Hideyoshi-san, this way!" Saotome-sensei called from across the landing.

"Sensei, the faculty lounge is this way." Michi pointed to the connector bridge.

"I know." Saotome-sensei now managed to wear a small smile as she faced the opposite hallway, "We're not going to the faculty lounge right now."

"Eh?" Michi muttered in uncertainty, "Then where are we going?"

"Hideyoshi-san." The teacher's smile grew warm as she extended her hand towards the freshman, "Would you like to help us with out show as well?"

"Me?" Michi jolted back, taken aback by the sudden offer.

"You don't have to say yes right away, Hideyoshi-san." Saotome-sensei, sensing the freshman's hesitation, kindly reassured, "I'd just like you come and see it for yourself. Think of this as 'community service' for your tardy slips." The teacher then smiled again and said, "Duramayue-san should be going there as well."

As Saotome-sensei was saying this, the distant echo of footsteps climbing down the spiral staircase reached Michi's ears. She turned her head then saw the graceful figure of Elise de Lamarliere walking alongside the motherly Mami Tomoe. The two girls were walking at arms' length from each other and Mami seemed to be prattling on about something that Elise politely and quietly listened to. When the French girl's bored ash-grey eyes met with Michi's however, they lit with the refined flicker of Strasbourg gas lamps and she flashed a quick smile to the Hokkaido native.

Michi smiled back, happy to see her roommate again that afternoon. When her eyes turned to the golden-haired girl beside Elise, however, she felt a dull throb in her heart. For the briefest of moments, Michi felt the weight of a cryptic gaze from Mami Tomoe - the same appraising look that she had felt from the golden-haired girl every so often. Just as soon as Michi faced her, however, that look was replaced with her same old motherly demeanor with a polite smile and a warm greeting,

"Good afternoon Saotome-sensei, Hideyoshi-san."

Innocent, Saotome-sensei merrily returned Mami's greeting. Tomoe was one of the star students in Class 3-4 and was one of the most influential senior year students in the school, going by what Lorelei and Ligaya told her. The golden-haired girl was every bit as friendly as everyone said she was, but Michi couldn't help but feel that there was some phantom distance between them. Still, Michi hobbled together a smile and returned a modest 'hello' as the two seniors joined them in the landing.

"Saotome-sensei." Elise started first as she promptly fished out her purple tardy slip from her blue school bag at her side, "About our tardiness demerits, Ogasawara-san and Tomoe-san said…"

Before Elise could finish, though, the teacher gave an lively, affirmative nod. She then put her hands on her hips as she said, "Come on and join us! I was just taking Hideyoshi-san to Class 2-1 to watch their preparation for _Hyouka Tabemasu_." She then turned to Mami and said, "The more people helping Class 2-1, the better, right?"

"Of course." Mami spoke with a refined tone, and smiled back to the teacher "Sakura-san did say they needed all the help they could get."

On that note, the four of them started to make their way down the hall to Class 2-1.

Mami walked alongside Saotome-sensei and started to talk about her own class, Class 3-4', while Michi followed Elise's pace with hardly any distance between them. As the four of them walked down the hall, Saotome-sensei continued to talk about _Hyouka Tabemasu_.

Mami was also a volunteer for _Hyouka Tabemasu_ , Saotome-sensei explained as they walked past homebound students down the hallway Second Year Wing. The senior was one of the very first volunteers alongside the student council president, Noe Ogasawara, and they were not the last. More than a dozen other volunteers from throughout the school already committed to lend a hand, and nearly everyone in the student council was going to play a role.

"Ogasawara-senpai seems to be rather popular too, huh?" Michi noted.

"Where Ogasawara-san goes, the student council will follow." Elise replied in a whisper.

"But even with the student council helping out, there's still a lot to do." Mami then said, "That's why Saotome-sensei is still on a recruitment drive."

They reached the Second Year Wing which had grown quiet as most of the sophomores had already filed out on their way home or to go to their club activities for the afternoon. At the heart of the now quiet labyrinth of glass-walled classrooms, however, was a classroom still buzzing with activity. Lively chatter spilled out from the packed Class 2-1 classroom and into the halls, alongside the barking of orders and the over-the-top recitation of lines.

"I think I heard Kyouko-senpai just now." Michi chuckled as the red-haired sophomore's voice topped the lively din of the classroom with a hilarious attempt to speak archaic Japanese. It didn't suit her at all, but that didn't stop Kyouko from putting heart into those butchered lines.

When Michi turned back to the classroom, however, she saw the gentle figure of Madoka Kaname standing at the threshold, softly carrying a well made marionette in her arms. The kind sophomore's pink hair was tied back into a ponytail and was clad in her gym tracksuit as she lifted up the marionette's hand to wave at Michi.

"Good afternoon, Hideyoshi, everyone." The pink-haired sophomore spoke in a haughty tone as she lifted up the marionette, "You came, just as I expected."

"... eh? You knew I was coming?" Michi gasped in surprise.

"Ah, no, no." Madoka chuckled and spoke as she normally did as she waved with her own free left hand, "Those were lines for the puppet show for this doll here that I changed up a little bit." The pink-haired girl then embraced the doll in her hands and said, "This one's the 'watchmaker's daughter' and she's quite a character, you see!"

"The watchmaker's daughter?" Michi said as she took a closer look at the puppet in Madoka's arms before she finally recognized it, "That's one of the twelve in the posters."

"Yes, and she's the star of the show!" Madoka made the puppet raise her hand to cheer, but the stoic expression on the puppet's face made it seem out of place. The pink-haired girl embraced the marionette again then gamely introduced the rest of the cast as well without skipping a beat, "There's the baker's daughter and the pastor's daughter, the musician's daughter and the dairy farmer's daughter. Then there's the mayor's daughter and the smith's daughter, then the quartermaster's daughter and the trader's daughter and the painter's daughter and the captain's daughter!" She then paused to catch her breath then smiled as she said, "And finally, there's the gardener's daughter and the watchmaker's daughter here."

"You memorized all twelve of them." Michi said, rather impressed.

"Of course - that's the job of a puppet master after all!" Madoka said proudly before she mellowed down, hugged the doll of the watchmaker's daughter said, "And I love every single one of them to bits!"

It was rather heartening to see Madoka all fired up about the puppet show, Michi thought. It made her wonder just how much work she put in for this _Hyouka Tabemasu_ show.

"Kaname-san," Saotome-sensei then spoke as she approached Madoka happily, "Hideyoshi-san here and her roommate Duramayue-san are here to watch the preparations - and Tomoe-san is here to help as always."

"I look forward to working with you and your class again, Kaname-san." Mami said with a bright smile. She then turned to the classroom and heard Kyouko delivering another dramatic line and asked, "Are we doing a live practice with the puppets today?"

"We are!" Madoka nodded eagerly, "Kyouko-san's already getting started, as you can hear."

"I see, so that's why you're already in your tracksuit." Mami said with a smile as she lifted up her school bag, "Let me go change into mine - I'll join you guys in a little while."

Mami excused herself with a polite curtsy then headed for the nearest powder room down the hall, leaving the three of them alone in the halls. Still with a mellow smile, Saotome-sensei then asked,

"Kaname-san, would you know where Akemi-san is?" The teacher tried to look through the glass walls of the classroom and added, "She's the one in charge of _Hyouka,_ so i'd like her to show Hideyoshi-san and Duramayue-san the ropes."

"Ah, well... Homura-chan's still busy writing the script!" Madoka sheepishly explained, almost apologetically. She then turned to Michi and Elise and kindly offered, "We still have time before practice starts, though, so I can show you around if you're alright with me."

Michi and Elise gave the sophomore affirmative nods, much to Madoka's delight. The pink-haired girl then approached Elise and asked,

"You're Elise Duramayue-senpai, right?" Madoka extended her hand to the French girl and said, "My name's Madoka Kaname. It's a pleasure to finally meet you!"

"The pleasure is mine, Kaname-san." Elise said, firmly shaking Madoka's hand, "We'll be in your care."

* * *

**Eighteenth Act, Fourth Movement - In Our Own Little Way**

Madoka Kaname, holding the marionette of the watchmaker's daughter lovingly in her arms, happily led Michi and Elise through the threshold of the jampacked Class 2-1 classroom and into the hive of activity. One and a half dozen students of Class 2-1 and their modest cadre of volunteers were buzzing around the classroom doing all sorts of things - constructing set pieces, sewing together tiny costumes, planning lighting schemes, the works.

The girls then passed by Kyousuke Kamijo who was on his way out of the classroom with his prized violin case in tow. Following closely behind him was the commanding presence of the student council president, Noe Ogasawara, and a handful of other musicians also lugging around various instruments. Kyousuke casually waved to Madoka on his way out while the student council president nodded to Elise in acknowledgement.

"Kamijou-kun and Ogasawara-senpai are part of the pit band for the show," Madoka explained as they carried on, "Kamijou-kun is a really talented violinist, while Ogasawara-senpai's also president of the school's marching band - she plays the saxophone, if I remember correctly." The pink-haired girl then giggled and said, "Most of the other musicians are also from the student council as well as from Ogasawara-senpai's club - what a small world, huh? But thanks to them, our music side is solid."

That was a relief, Michi thought. While the Hokkaido native did enjoy music, she didn't know how much she could have contributed to that talented cast. After all, the only instrument she knew how to play was the _tonkori_ , and her little sister could play much better than her.

As Michi was thinking of this, Madoka brought her and Elise to a lively corner of the room where a beautiful green-haired girl was dutifully pacing around with a pen and clipboard, checking up on everyone's work and taking stock of the many more things that still needed to be done. The green-haired taskmaster noticed Madoka approach then stopped to greet her with a smile.

"Ah, Kaname-san, what can we do for you?" The sophomore asked as she held her clipboard close to her chest. She then eyed Michi and Elise trailing behind Madoka and asked, "New recruits?"

"They're observers, Hitomi-chan." Madoka said with a smile, "Saotome-sensei brought them in."

"I see - Saotome-sensei _has_ been advertising very aggressively. We do need all the help we can get, after all." Hitomi chuckled as she turned towards the two girls and gave them a quick once over before extending her hand to them, "My name's Hitomi Shizuki, president of Class 2-1. It's a pleasure to meet you two."

Michi and Elise politely exchanged pleasantries with Hitomi, taking turns to shake the class president's free hand. Madoka then told her about the task that Saotome-sensei gave her and Hitomi rubbed her chin in thought. She then raised her pointer finger with delight and offered to help Madoka give a tour.

"Kaname-san and I will show you around our home base." Hitomi said with a flourish of pride, "If you see anything you like, let me know and I'll sign you up - no questions asked."

"No questions asked?" Elise muttered with a raised brow.

"If Kaname-san trusts you two, then I can too." Hitomi then flashed a warm smile.

"Ahehehe~," Madoka gave an embarrassed laugh as she scratched the back of her head with her free hand. With that, Hitomi and Madoka started to show their two observers around the classroom.

That sun kissed afternoon, the classroom of Class 2-1 had their twenty desks retracted into the tiled floor and were replaced by makeshift, pop-up work stations. There, intricate costumes for the puppets were being sewn and tiny props were being made, from colorful ice cream cones to wrought iron bird cages. There was a spring in Hitomi's step as she helped give the tour around the work stations, complementing the shy yet earnest Madoka's introductions. That enthusiasm, however, seemed to dry up when they chanced upon a quartet of canvases sitting at a quiet corner of the otherwise noisy classroom.

"Shizuki-senpai, what are these?" Michi then asked, shifting her curious eyes from Hitomi to the four canvases at their feet.

"They're backdrops for the play." Hitomi replied a tad bit flatly as she went over to the canvases. She lifted one up and revealed rough sketches and guidelines drawn all over the blank slate that was much larger than herself and sighed, "Akemi-san brought these in today and said that we're going to have painted backdrops instead of digital ones."

"Yeah, Homura-chan brought them this morning during the festival committee meeting." Madoka then added with a small uncomfortable laugh, "It was pretty dusty when we first saw it too."

"Hmm…" Elise hummed as she gave the canvass a serious, appraising look, much to Madoka's and Hitomi's surprise. To Michi, however, this was a familiar sight.

The slight furrow on the French girl's brow and the mild twinkle in her eyes was something that Michi had seen earlier that morning in the _Hanasou_. She dug her hand into the pocket of her uniform and felt the purple tardy slip and sighed. That same, subtle drive was the reason why they were late that morning after all and it brought a small smile to Michi's lips. She already knew that Elise had made her choice.

"These are prepworks for landscape paintings." The French girl observed as she put her hand on her hip and then asked, "So what sort of landscape did Akemi-san have in mind for these canvases? Paintings are noble works after all - I'd like to know their story before I touch them."

"Wait… does that mean… you're going to help us out with these?" Hitomi asked with welling giddiness as a fascinated look grew on her face, "Are you a painter, Duramaye-senpai?"

"I didn't say yes just yet…" Elise heaved a bothersome sigh, "But, yes. I'm not much of a painter, but I think I can lend a hand with these backdrops at least."

" _Merci beaucoup!_ " Hitomi then exclaimed in accented French, taking Elise's hand and shaking it vigorously, "You're such a lifesaver!"

A puzzled Elise let the grateful Hitomi keep on shaking her hand as Madoka gladly looked on. Elise then turned to Michi who gave her a supportive smile. Thus, Elise resigned herself to her fate.

"I do have another request, Shizuki-san." Elise then added as Hitomi finally let go of her vicegrip, "Would it be alright if I could do my work in the auditorium storehouse? That's where the puppet show will be held after all." The French girl then thoughtfully paused and said, "And I would like to use the storehouse for my own paintings as well. I have a painting that I'm planning to restore, you see."

"Of course, of course!" Hitomi promptly agreed without a second thought, "I'll vouch for your request - and I'll ask Ogasawara-san to do so too!"

Elise sure knew how to get her way, Michi thought with a lighthearted chuckle. She always had a way with words after all and a silver tongue to boot. To Michi, it was heartening to see Elise fired up about helping out. At the same time, though, when she looked around the busy classroom, the Hokkaido native wondered exactly where she fit into this picture.

"Hideyoshi-san," Madoka then asked with a kindly smile, "Would you like to help Duramayue-sepai as well?"

Michi thought about it for a moment but then humbly shook her head and said,

"I would love to help, but I don't know the first thing about painting." Michi explained as she watched Hitomi and Elise have a deep discussion about the backdrop and the themes, "I don't know how painters can take paint and canvass and turn it into a story like they do, and it's why they amaze me." Michi continued a little more heartily this time, "I haven't seen her paint myself, but I know Elise has the heart to see this through. Those backdrops are in good hands with her."

"I see." Madoka said with a satisfied smile, "If that's the case then shall we carry on with our tour?" The pink-haired girl then grew bashful as she let the tips of her pointer fingers touch as she shyly added, "Though the last group is the one I'm a part of - I… I hope you'll like it, Hideyoshi-san."

Madoka's thinly-veiled enthusiasm made Michi chuckle. It was easy to see what Madoka was hoping for, she thought, so the freshman happily conceded a nod. The moment she saw that, Madoka joined her hands together in delight and then brought Michi along to the front of the classroom where a small crowd of a dozen students was gathered. At the middle of it all was Kyouko Sakura who was also clad in her tracksuit and was skillfully controlling two marionettes at once.

"That's the painter's daughter," Madoka whispered as she pointed out the puppets for Michi, "and that's the captain's daughter."

The fiery red-haired girl was making the two puppets walk, run and dive for cover in ways that Michi never thought was possible for marionettes. All the while, Kyouko was delivering lines in two distinct voices completely in character.

"We have to cross the river!" Kyouko spoke in the nasal yet articulate voice of the painter's daughter, "This is our only chance!"

"Be that as it may…" Kyouko then started, changing to the formally archaic and serious tone of the captain's daughter, "I fear the river - I fear that her current may sweep us away!"

"I'll make sure that it won't!" Kyouko returned to the painter's daughter's voice and declared, "I'll make sure to it that we reach the other side. This time… this time, we'll make it! I will take you there myself." She then made the painter's daughter extend her hand to the captain's daughter and continued with a swell of tearful emotion, "Come on now, Garden-sama is counting on us."

The crowd gathered around Kyouko watched her exhibition show with moved hearts and applauded the scene before they all started to disperse and get back to work. Mami Tomoe was among that crowd, but she stayed near the front and praised Kyouko's performance herself. When the crowd thinned, Michi saw that she too had changed into her own tracksuit and was wearing her hair in a long, motherly ponytail that draped over her right shoulder. She noticed Madoka and her guest approach, so she turned towards them and said,

"I must say, Akemi-san has really done a splendid job with the script." She then folded her arms confidently and asked, "At the end of the day, it was worth all of that trouble, huh?"

"It is!" Madoka agreed wholeheartedly, embracing the watchmaker's daughter's doll dearly, "I only skimmed through the script when Homura-chan brought it in this morning, but hearing Kyouko-san act it out brought it to life." She then wiped the sides of her eyes and added, "I nearly teared up, you know!"

"Oh, you're flatterin' me, Madoka!" Kyouko piped up in her normal tone and grinned at the pink-haired girl. Kyouko's eyes then fell upon Michi as well and she seemed to glow as she lovingly exclaimed, "Oh! Kouhai-chan~!"

The red-haired girl gently set aside the dolls of the captain's daughter and the painter's daughter then sprung forward and flanked the unprepared Michi with glee. Kyouko wrapped her arm around Michi's shoulders and pulled her into a powerful embrace.

"Kouhai-chan, it's nice to see you again after all this time!" Kyouko heartily laughed as she geld the freshman in her clutches, "It's been a while, y'know!"

"Kyouko-senpai, it's only been a week!" Michi laughed as she let Kyouko noogie her into submission.

"I know, I know." Kyouko let go of Michi then stuck out her tongue - her usual playful apology, "But a loooot~ of stuff has happened since then." She then pointed to the digital whiteboard behind her and added, "And there's a hell of a lot more stuff that needs to be done by May 1! The cultural festival is serious business, y'know!"

"I can see that." Michi agreed with a smile as she read the digital whiteboard that read 'May 1 is judgement day!' It was a bit of an exaggeration for a mere cultural festival, but Michi admired the effort everyone in Class 2-1 and everyone lending a hand were giving to _Hyouka Tabemasu_.

So then, the fiery sophomore put her hands on her hips and then asked what she could do to help her dear underclassman. Madoka explained Michi's situation a second time and then the glow of Kyouko Sakura seemed to grow even stronger.

Kyouko then gave Michi an appraising look from head to toe before she casually offered, "Say, d'ya wanna be a puppetmaster too, kouhai-chan?"

"Sakura-san?" Mami cautiously interjected, wondering if it was just a slip of her tongue, "Isn't that a little bit…"

"Don't worry, Mami - I'll teach her." Kyouko assured with a grin, pointing to herself proudly with her right thumb, "And if those rhythm games we played at the Mirai 812 say anything, then kouhai-chan here's a pretty fast learner!"

Mami covered her mouth thoughtfully with a clenched fist and furrowed brow and Madoka seemed to be at a loss for words when Michi took a deep breath and then gamely replied, "If you're alright with me, Kyouko-senpai, then I'll do my best."

"That's the spirit!" Kyouko firmly patted Michi's shoulder twice before turning to Mami, "It'll be fun! Homura said she wanted more puppetmasters for the show - we have twelve dolls after all and only you, me, Madoka and herself." She then turned to Mami with a cryptic look and added, "There's also _that_ other thing we talked about too."

When Kyouko said this, there was a moment of silence between them before Mami seemed to concede with a sigh. Michi tilted her head, wondering what the two of them were talking about when Mami finally turned to Michi with a small smile and said,

"Just so you know, Hideyoshi-san, Sakura-san has always wanted to be someone's mentor."

"Ehehehe~!" Kyouko laughed proudly, taking it as a compliment, "That's damn right!" So she then eagerly gestured Michi to come with her and said, "Now let's get you started on these puppets, kouhai-chan! You help out too, Mami, Madoka."

"Very well" Mami conceded with a resigned sigh while Madoka happily nodded, much to Kyouko's satisfaction.

"Get started, as in right now?" Michi asked, pointing to herself in surprise.

"You said you were going to do your best right?" Kyouko grinned as she picked up the doll of the captain's daughter and handed it to Michi, "There's no better day than today."

Michi turned her eyes from her upperclassman's grin to the hopeful profile of the doll of the captain's daughter in her arms. Looking at the doll of the captain's daughter, she felt a sense of affinity about it. It wasn't only because of how well-made the doll was or the love and care that was clearly put into it, but the character's image seemed to speak to her somehow. She then cradled the doll of the captain's daughter in her arms and picked up her handle, eyeing the myriad of charcoal grey strings from which she hung.

Then when Michi looked up, she saw Kyouko return with the doll of the painter's daughter, Madoka with the doll of the watchmaker's daughter and Mami with the doll of the gardener's daughter. And so, the three girls in tracksuits gave Michi a rundown of how to move the captain's daughter and to bring her to life. They started with a thorough lecture followed by a number of simple drills from Kyouko. Michi took a deep, nervous breath, and tried to follow Kyouko's instructions.

Slowly but surely, the captain's daughter sat, stood up, waved her hand and bowed. Michi's movements were jerky and rough but she kept practicing and practicing, going through the motions again and again until the captain's daughter could start walking alongside the painter's daughter, the watchmaker's daughter and the gardener's daughter. With every step that the captain's daughter took, the sparkle in Michi's deep brown eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Elise, who had finished going through their plans for the backdrops with Hitomi, then saw Michi with Kyouko and the other two puppetmasters parading their puppets around the classroom in a quaint march. The French girl folded her arms and smiled with amusement as she watched them go around in a jagged circle. Then, from the classroom across the hall, the lively overture of _Hyouka Tabemasu_ from Kyousuke Kamijou's and Noe Ogasawara's pit band, resounded in Class 2-1.

In that ambitious march, the captain's daughter fumbled time and time again, tripping face first on the ground or getting tangled up in her own strings, but Michi never gave up on her. Michi raised the captain's daughter back up to her feet and untangled her from her charcoal grey strings and helped her continue her march. Sweat formed on Michi's furrowed brow as she willed the captain's daughter forward with great determination. She managed to catch up with Kyouko and the others, much to Kyouko's delight, and they all marched around the classroom to the tune of _Hyouka Tabemasu_ 's overture once.

The overture ended and Michi sighed with relief as the mellow silence that followed the overture sank in. That silence, however, was broken by the sound of a lone, slow round of applause that echoed from the classroom entrance. Michi and her three teaches, Elise, Hitomi and everyone else in the classroom turned to the source of the sound and saw the lithe figure of the director of the puppet-show herself - Homura Akemi - with a cryptic, knowing smile on her lips.

Homura's deep purple eyes were fixated on hers, Michi thought, as she picked up the doll of the captain's daughter and held it close to her heart. From where she stood, Homura was clapping only for her. Michi was honored to receive such praise, but at the same time she was also confused. After all, she had only made a puppet march around in a circle one - shakily so.

"I went over to Class 1-2 to come and invite you to see _Hyouka Tabemasu_ , Michi, but Sankuto-san and Derakuruzu-san said that you had already left." Homura said as she ended her applause and laid her hand over her heart. A tender chuckle escaped Homura's lips as she added, "But you already found your way here, so perhaps I didn't have to worry."

Homura's eyes then turned to the other end of the room where Elise and Hitomi stood and she gave the French girl a courteous nod and said, "And I see Duramayue-san is here as well."

Elise nodded back cautiously, unable to read through the thick, subtle veil that hung over Homura's face. Time seemed to slow down for her and for Michi as the sophomore proudly ran a hand through her immaculate locks of straight black hair and revealed the bright purple earring that she wore. Both Elise's ash grey and Michi's deep brown were drawn to the purple earring like moths to a flame. Then, Homura spoke.

"I think that the two of you have seen the situation that Class 2-1 is in." Homura's eyes turned from Elise to Michi as a wry smile formed on her lips, "I will be honest. There will be a lot of tough work ahead of us until May 1, so I don't want to force either of you. But even then..." She then extended her hands forward to the French girl and to the Hokkaido native and asked, "Will the two of you lend me your strength?"

* * *

**Third Interlude**

_April 30, 2016 - Friday_

Warm afternoon sunlight poured through the windows of the library of the Mitakihara Junior High School, illuminating the lone, posh armchair of the reading nook by the library's extensive History section. Seated at the armchair was the sole patron of the otherwise empty library - Homura Akemi - who leaned over to the right with an impatient air about her. The time traveler rested her head on her clenched right fist as she held an open book in her left hand. It was a book titled 'Operation Blacklist' with a black-and-white cover photo of the staunch and tall Douglas MacArthur standing beside the tired, defeated Emperor Hirohito.

Homura flipped through the pages in solitude as the ominous sound of the library's ticking grandfather clock echoed in the emptiness. She held the book far from her eyes and squinted as she read through a scanned image of a dated document - the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. That monotony, however, was broken when the sound of a pair of loafers approached from the opposite end of the History section shelves.

"I had a feeling that I would find you here, Akemi-san." The warm tone of Mami Tomoe drew Homura's eyes, "Everyone in your classroom's finished with their prep work and they're getting settled in for the night." The golden-haired gunner then stepped into the orange sunlight and added, "Hideyoshi-san and her friends are doing the same. I checked up on them like you asked. They're hanging around that storehouse that Shizuki-san and Ogasawara-san loaned them."

"Are they?" Homura hummed with interest, "Those girls have grown quite fond of that space." The time traveler then looked out to the orange-colored sky and spotted six brown birds flying together in a V as she mused, "I don't blame them."

Homura then turned back to the golden-haired gunner and saw that she was wearing her blue school bag and was holding onto another set of History books to check out and take home as usual,

"Are you heading home already, Mami?" Homura asked as she returned her eyes to her book, "You're not staying overnight like everyone else?"

"Well, I shall be one of the few who will not." Mami chuckled, taking the remark in stride, "After all, I still have to feed Nagisa-chan. Sakura-san is staying overnight at my place too." The gunner's golden eyes then turned to Homura's and asked, "Why don't you come and stay with us as well, Akemi-san? Even the Christian god rested on the seventh day."

"And god can continue to rest for as long as she likes." Homura said with a cryptic tone that made Mami tilt her head, puzzled. Homura then shook her head and apologized, "Sorry… what I meant to say is, I appreciate the offer, but I must stay here tonight. There are still a lot of things for me to oversee, and I don't want to leave everything to Ogasawara." The time-traveler then paused before she added, "And if anything happens tonight or tomorrow…"

"I know, I know." Mami reassured eagerly, pointing to the WristComm 88 device that she wore, then to the silver ring on her middle finger, "Sakura-san and I are only a call away. Just say the word and we'll come running."

"I'll be counting on you two - like always." Homura finally tore her eyes away from her book and gave Mami a thankful nod. Mami returned the gesture then set one of the books she held at the end table by Homura's armchair.

"What's this?" Homura asked as she set aside her book on Operation Blacklist and picked up the book that Mami left. It bore the title 'Treaty of San Francisco'.

"Once you're done reading about Blacklist, then I think you'll enjoy this one." Mami said with a knowledgeable smile, "It's the proper end to the occupation, and it set the stage for the current order that we enjoy now."

'Proper end?' Homura thought as she hummed. She wondered about that but said nothing. Instead, she gave Mami a thankful nod and sent her on her way. Mami returned the gesture and left Homura alone in that solitary nook by the windows. The time traveler then looked out the window a second time and watched the cloudless orange sky fading into periwinkle and thoughtfully mused,

"Is it going to rain tomorrow? I wonder."

* * *

**Nineteenth Act - I'm Always On Your Side**

That same afternoon sunlight also filled the small, spare storehouse of the Mitakihara Junior High School auditorium building. The sound of a pot of water boiling over an electric stove echoed in the space as the freshman trio of the Hanasou Girls were gathered around a simple, wooden, square table at the heart of the room with their school bags huddled beneath it. Lorelei and Ligaya were seated shoulder to shoulder there as they read through the contents of an olive green notebook together with great intensity.

Michi, on the other hand, sat opposite from them with both of her hands set nervously on the table as she waited with great anticipation. The Hokkaido native's hair flowed down to her shoulders and she subconsciously played with her trimmed _Hime-cut_ bangs. The kanzashi hair pin that she usually wore was in her hands and she twirled the ornament like a pen to try and gather herself.

From where she sat, she watched Ligaya holding up the notebook for herself and for Lorelei. The Filipina read with a focused, furrowed brow while the German wore a pair of pearl white-rimmed reading glasses. Lorelei's glasses magnified the German's honey brown eyes that were shifting from left to right in a frenzy until she or Ligaya turned a page. As Michi awaited for their verdict, she heard the sound of the boiling water then let her eyes wander around the spare storehouse. Only two weeks had passed and yet the storehouse had transformed before her very eyes into something she thought was wonderful. It brought a reminiscent smile to her lips.

The spare storehouse was the domain of Elise de Lamarliere that was loaned to her in exchange for her service. Hitomi Shizuki lobbied to the school's facilities management while the student council president Noe Ogasawara generously pulled her strings on the council, the principal and the board of directors too. The two girls even managed to get tacit approval for Elise to do her restoration work there. Elise was amazed by how much influence those two girls had.

Previously, the storehouse was sparsely filled with metal sports racks and unused equipment. When Elise moved in, she brought the backdrops for Class 2-1's _Hyouka Tabemasu_ with her along with the cryptic painting she received from 'J. Plata' and set up shop. She spread a vinyl sheet over the concrete floor, opened up the rusting windows and brought dozens of cans of paint and everything else she needed to paint. Hitomi threw in some furniture too for goodwill - the wooden table and the chairs, an old sofa from the faculty lounge and a spare tea set from Hitomi's own traditional Tea Ceremony club.

Along with Elise, the twelve dolls of _Hyouka Tabemasu_ also soon found their home there, sitting pretty on the unused sports racks with all of their strings and handles and their props and set pieces for the play.

Michi was the one in charge of storing the dolls there - a caretaker, as Homura put it. She was the one who would return the dolls to the storehouse after she, Mami, Kyouko, Madoka and Homura finished their puppetmaster practice. Michi often stayed long after she returned the dolls, however, keeping the French girl who was hard at work company. Before long, she started using the storehouse's table as a writing space to work on the skits for the _Thunder Sisters' Show_

Then, the Thunder Sisters themselves started dropping by and joined the two of them after school. They would bring snacks at first, to chat with Michi and Elise and to check up on them. Soon, the four girls started to bring their lunches down to the storehouse to eat together as well. Ligaya too was rather fond of the surplus sofa and has, on more than one occasion, slept like a log after lunchtime or after school. Ligaya naturally denied doing so, of course.

Before they knew it, the desolate spare storehouse had transformed into the _Hanasou Girls_ ' secret base.

Michi's reminisce was broken when she heard Lorelei Sankt snicker from across the table and she saw Ligaya pout. They must have reached the skit about Ligaya's _siesta_ sessions, Michi guessed. Before long, the two readers reached the end of the notebook and Lorelei took off her reading glasses and set them on the sun kissed table. The German then faced Michi with a happy grin and declared,

" _Sehr gut!_ I like this very much, Michi!"

"I'm honored that it was to your liking, Lorelei-san." Michi sighed with relief and smiling twofold. The Japanese freshman then set both of her hands on the table and stood up, "The water should be ready now by the way. Let me go and fix the tea."

" _Danke schon_." Lorelei beamed as she picked up her glasses and put them away. She watched Michi walk over to the other end of the room where a small stove and kettle sat. Michi checked up on the boiling water and then brought out the tea set from a nearby cupboard.

Once she had finished reading through it a second time, Ligaya closed the notebook and heaved a heavy sigh that Michi heard all the way from the other end of the room. Lorelei was the one who was going to speak the most during the show, Michi recalled, but Ligaya had quite a fair bit of lines that she had to deliver. The Filipina gave an awkward laugh as she thought out loud,

"That is many lines to memorize, huh?" Ligaya scratched the back of her head, "Thank goodness we can read script at the booth!" The Filipina then heaved one last sigh before she managed a more natural smile and added, "I appreciate this though, Michi. It's like good challenge for my Japanese."

"I know you can do this, Ligaya." Michi looked behind her back and gave her vote of confidence with a smile, "Your Japanese has been getting better and better and you never gave up. This should be a piece of cake for you now." The Japanese freshman then turned back to the tea set she was preparing and added, "Though a little work on your syntax should be in order now."

"Ehehehe… I still have long way to go." Ligaya chuckled as she stuffed the olive green notebook into her schoolbag, "It's just sometimes, I want say something in correct Japanese but I cannot string together correct words into sentence - you know?" She then scratched the back of her head again and said, "Lorelei has been starting to drill me for make mistakes."

"And I shall continue to do so, _meine schwester!_ " Lorelei's tone bristled with confidence as she sat down beside Ligaya and wrapped her right arm over the Filipina's shoulder, "You've made a lot of progress since March and I'll keep you going."

"I shall do the same, Ligaya." Michi added wholeheartedly as she turned off the stove with a resounding click, "The _Hanasou Girls_ are like my family here in Mitakihara, so if there is something I can do to help, I shall do it." The Japanese freshman then spoke with a dutiful tone, "Like I told you before, I'll always be at your side."

Ligaya simply replied with a happy, knowing grin. When it came to Michi, Ligaya had no doubt in her heart or in her mind that the Japanese girl meant every word she said.

"Still, Michi, I must say I am rather pleasantly surprised by your writing." Lorelei praised earnestly as the Japanese freshman poured hot water into a teal-colored teapot with all the grace of a professional tea ceremony master, "Hmm… how do I put this? I was expecting something a little tamer, but you might just have a knack for this kind of stuff!"

"Ahahah… my mother and my sister say the same things." Michi grew a little bit embarrassed, as she returned to the table and started serving green tea, "Back in _Oshimahana_ , my hometown, we had a small Vaudeville-style comedy that the locals put together. I helped write a skit for that show too, and people seemed to like it."

" _Vaudeville_ , huh? Old-school! That's why it's a little quirky." Lorelei chuckled as Michi put a hot cup of tea before her, "It'll sound really good on the PA system too!" The German girl took the teacup, blew twice then took a sip, "But more importantly… speaking of a good laugh…."

"Hmm?" Michi hummed as she set the tea set aside. When she turned to the table, she saw Ligaya still wrapped up in her reading and the steaming hot cups of tea. Lorelei, however, was nowhere to be found. Michi then felt a chill run up her spine as Lorelei approached her from behind and started to tickle her.

The Japanese girl laughed heartily as Lorelei relentlessly assaulted her sides. Barely a minute had passed and Michi easily yielded, still laughing as she fought to catch her breath. It was an adorable and surprising sight, Lorelei thought. Michi Hideyoshi had a wonderful laugh. Lorelei would never had guessed.

It was at this time that the sliding door of the spare storehouse slid open and the third-year French painter appeared behind the threshold with a bewildered look on her face. Michi's and Lorelei's eyes met with Elise's and a moment of silence ensued. The serious air about Elise soon crumbled into a lighthearted chuckle, however, as soon as she realized what was going on.

" _Sacre bleu_ , I was wondering what the commotion was! I heard something coming from down the hall and I thought I heard a…" The French girl paused as she scratched the back of her head with her right hand and turned away, "Never mind, I was just overreacting."

From where she stood, Michi saw that Elise was holding onto a wooden kendo sword in her left hand. She wanted to ask why Elise came rushing over to them with a weapon, but she never got the chance to. The French girl tossed the kendo sword onto the vinyl-sheet covered floor and then recovered with a smile,

"So then, are all of you ready to stay the night here at the base?"

"We were just waiting for you to get back, Elise." Michi said as she broke away from Lorelei's hands and then poured a fourth cup of tea. With a smile on her face, she handed Elise her cup and greeted, "Welcome back."

* * *

**Epilogue**

Far down the hall of the auditorium building, the hum of the building's lone vending machine was drowned out by the sound of lively laughter and chatter that came from the lone store room. The hushed breaths of Sayaka Miki raced when she heard the laughter, shuddering as she recalled an unpleasant memory from long ago. Those four girls laughing together reminded her of another kind of laughter - the hollow laughter of a menacing, destructive madness that she had heard a long time ago. The memory cast a shadow over her Sayaka's eyes, contrasting the warm orange light that poured into the auditorium hallway. The carton of melon milk that Sayaka just bought from the machine shivered along with her hand. Then, she felt a hand touch her shoulder from behind.

Sayaka's back straightened up and she jolted forward, whirling around in a cold sweat as her already racing heart threatened to tear through her chest. The blue-haired sophomore then saw the beautiful figure of Noe Ogasawara, the student council president who wore a mischievous smile as she watched Sayaka's reaction. The sophomore caught her breath and wore a frown.

"What do you want, prez?" Sayaka asked with frustration.

"Everyone in your class has been looking for you, Miki-san." The taller Ogasawara said as she put a hand on her hips, looking down upon the smaller Sayaka, "You tend to skip out on practice for _Hyouka Tabemasu_ quite often, even though you were entrusted to be the conductor for the pit band." Ogasawara's sly smile then took on a crpytic tinge as she added, "It's why Akemi-san told me to come and find you."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to run away - if that's what you and Akemi are worried about." Sayaka brushed Ogasawara aside as she started to walk towards the back exit, "I agreed to be the conductor for Hitomi's and Kyousuke's sake… and…" The carton of melon milk she held trembled, but Sayaka caught herself and steadied her hand as she whispered to no one in particular, "I'm not going to lose."

"What a handful." Ogasawara folded her arms as she escorted Sayaka to the back exit and chuckled. When the student council president passed by the vending machine, the sleeve of her uniform brushed against a small paper card that immediately drew her attention. There was a small, powder blue paper charm that hung by the edge of the machine but Ogasawara couldn't quite seem to see it.

A small smile formed on Sayaka's lips as she saw this and she went on ahead of Ogasawara, leaving her behind. Sayaka faced the double doors of the auditorium's back entrance and marched towards them, pushing them both open in a brisk, empathic movement. The warm orange sunlight of the dying sun then illuminated Sayaka's face and the determined look that she wore.

'May 1 is the big day for you, huh, _transfer student_?' Sayaka thought as she poked the straw of her melon milk carton into the hole. A provident breeze then blew by, making her hair and the fortissimo pin that she wore sway hard to the left. The sophomore then looked up as she thoughtfully mused as she still heard the laughter of the _Hanasou Girls_ echoing from the spare storehouse, "May 1 is the day it all began."

**To Be Continued**


	9. The Ninth Symphony

**Prologue**

_April 30, 2088, Friday_

The sound of flowing water echoed in the tiled confines of the third floor powder room of the Mitakihara Junior High School's auxiliary building at half past ten in the evening. The bright, pearl white ceiling lights contrasted the pitch black of the starless evening sky beyond the powder room's high windows and illuminated the solitary figure of Homura Akemi who stood before room's large stainless steel sink and the wide bathroom mirror that hung above it.

Homura, at that late hour, was still wearing her school uniform but she had long foregone its thick red ribbon and the yellow sweater and had folded the sleeves of her white blouse all the way up to her elbows. A tired air of displeasure and tension emanated from her solitary figure as she leaned forward and brought her hands to the sink's flowing water. As soon as she did, tendrils of charcoal grey and crimson traced down the water, spiralling all the way down to the drain. Homura watched the small, tainted whirlpool grow larger and larger as she recalled a disturbing sight she had seen just minutes ago. She shook her head and reached for the dispenser of lily-scented hand soap, vigorously scrubbing dark patches that stained her otherwise porcelain-white hands.

"That was impressive, mistress!" The eager voice of the student council president, Noe Ogasawara, broke the monotony of the scene as she walked in through the open powder room door, "The rodents are in pandemonium right now, you know! They're quaking in their boots after seeing such a marvelous performance, noi!"

The student council president was the poster girl of the school and the object of its affections - always bearing a kindly smile and a youthful shimmer in her honey brown eyes. That evening, this same girl was covered in splatters of dried blood on her face and on the yellow sweater of her uniform, but the smile on her lips and the shimmer in her eyes remained.

Homura didn't reply, keeping her silence as she lathered the lily-scented soap into a foam. A crafty smirk then grew on Ogasawara's lips as she sauntered over to the large stainless steel sink and opened the faucet beside Homura's. She then started with a tone of sheer delight,

"This is a wonderful sight, mistress. The emotions that you planted into the Incubators' psyche have finally started to take root." Ogasawara chimed with proud flourish, "The reactions we managed to get from earlier have been outstanding - especially from the Injured Kyuubey." A mischievous snicker then escaped Ogasawara's lips, "After what you did to that pathetic rodent, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Ogasawara." Homura interrupted, starting in a serious tone as she washed the foam from her hands, "We have more pressing matters to attend to, don't we?"

"Mistress, I…" Ogawara started, slightly taken aback,suddenly feeling the weight of Homura's judging gaze. The student council president gathered herself and lowered her head obediently, " _Thy will be done_ , Akemi-san."

With that, the time-traveler turned off her faucet then ran a hand through her long, black hair as she passed Ogasawara by. Homura stepped out of the powder room and into the dark, dimly-lit halls of the auxiliary building's third floor. Only the bright light of the powder room and a dim sheen coming from the integrated laboratory down one end of the hall shed light into the corridor. Homura turned away from them both and made her way down the stairwell at the heart of the building, illuminated solely by the half-moon hanging in the starless sky.

Homura's solitary steps echoed in the cylindrical stairwell as she watched the half-moon with longing eyes. The faint scent of lilies and soap roused fond, distant memories of a simpler time. She paused in the halfway landing of the spiral staircase and then gently traced the figure of the half moon on the stairwell window with her right pointer finger. Her reminisce was cut short, however, when the WristComm 88 device she wore started to buzz and glow.

It was an incoming call from Mami Tomoe. The time-traveler let her device ring thrice before she finally tapped the face of the WristComm.

"Tomoe-san." Homura spoke, bringing the device closer to her lips, "You have a sitrep?"

"Yes. Sakura-san and I caught a small outbreak in the Sixth District during our patrols." Mami's voice spoke with her usual dutiful composure, "The miasma isn't too thick and Sakura-san sighted just a little over a dozen Wraiths hanging around the hospital."

"Don't let your guard down regardless." Homura noted as she leaned against the stairwell window, "This is not simply some 'police action', after all. The Wraiths have gotten crafty as of late."

"Don't worry, Akemi-san. I'm sure you and I have both learned from Mr. Truman's poor judgement." Mami assured with a hint of pride, "Sakura-san and I are prepared for anything. We'll give it our all." The gunner's tone then mellowed with concern as she asked, "But what about you, Akemi-san? Tomorrow is..."

"I know full well what tomorrow is, Tomoe-san." Homura interrupted the gunner as she heaved a small sigh, "I have everything under control here, I have made my preparations here already." The time-traveler then turned to the side and cast a careful eye on the auditorium building beyond the window, "I have everyone accounted for as well."

There was a short pause on the other end of the line before the gunner conceded, "Very well, Akemi-san. But if there's anything Sakura-san and I can do to help…"

"Actually, Tomoe-san, since you offered..." The time-traveler then obliged, "once you've wrapped up in the Sixth, I want you to sweep through the Seventh as well."

"The Seventh… the suburbs?" Mami asked.

"Yes. My hands are tied here after all." Homura confirmed, "You and Sakura-san can keep the Grief Cubes you get tonight to yourselves for your trouble, but I need the two of you to sweep the Seventh tonight."

"Very well, Akemi-san." Mami gave a dutiful reply, "We'll pass by the Seventh on our way back."

"Thank you." Homura said politely, then tapped the face of her WristComm device and ended the call. She then lowered her right hand and stole another glance of the auditorium building beyond the window, eyeing the light coming from the windows of the auditorium's spare storeroom. Homura blinked then peeled her back from the window and carried on down the spiral staircase briskly.

She emerged from the glass double doors of the auxiliary building and stepped into the school courtyard where half-finished stalls, tents and banners were scattered about like a sprawling labyrinth illuminated in the pale moonlight. A gentle breeze blew as Homura walked on by, rustling the leaves and tarpaulins alike as it guided the time-traveler to the doors of the back door of the auditorium. There, a member of Ogasawara's student council was standing watch.

"Good evening, noi!" The council member gave Homura a stiff salute as she stood in attention.

Homura ignored the council member and opened the door on her own, stepping into the auditorium corridor and closing the door behind her with a metallic thud.

The lights in the corridor were switched off, but the end of the hall was illuminated by the warm light coming the spare storehouse - the 'secret base' of the Hanasou Girls. Homura trod quietly down the corridor and listened to the muffled, albeit jovial banter of the German Lorelei Sankt and the Filipina Ligaya de la Cruz - practicing lines for their radio show the next day with full spirits. She then heard the stern voice of the French Elise de Lamarliere asking the two of them to tone down a little. Lorelei and Ligaya, however, insisted that they weren't disturbing anyone since they pretty much had the entire auditorium to themselves.

Homura chuckled lightly when she heard this exchange. Elise de Lamarliere must have gotten used to having the quiet Michi Hideyoshi as a roommate. This might have been the first instance of culture shock for the composed, level-headed French girl after all. Once Homura had heard her fill, she quietly opened the doors of the main auditorium hall and slipped inside.

The main auditorium hall and the handsome mahogany stage glowed soft silver as the light of the half-moon poured in through the hall's skylights. Silhouettes of the rows of folding chairs on the polished hardwood floor and the upholstered seats of the second floor bleachers took on a magical lustre under the silver light, along with the handful of set pieces and backgrounds prepositioned on the stage.

Homura walked mindfully through that silvered realm, regarding everything she saw with pensive eyes. She then hoisted herself up onto the stage and sat at the edge, letting her feet sway left and right like a pair of pendulums. All the while, the shadow she cast behind her grew long.

The time-traveler faced the rows of empty seats above and, imagining a ghostly audience before her, started to recite,

" _Everything in this world is fake,_

_Nothing more than a drama that You penned._

_So, pray, show me the path beneath the tree,_

_And turn all of fate's misfortune to nothing._

_Flood the world with magic! Take everyone into the play!_

_For in this play, no unhappy things shall exist._

_Tis a tragedy, but it will all be part of the script._

_The story will not change._

_Tomorrow and the day after that,_

_Shall be the night of…"_

As she was reciting, Homura noticed that the doors had been opened and the amazed figure of Michi Hideyoshi, wearing her turquoise blue pajamas, was peeking in from the corridor. Homura's purple eyes met Michi's brown ones and the Hokkaido native was startled.

"Ah, sorry - I didn't know you were practicing!" Michi promptly apologized and gave her upperclassman a deep bow, "Please excuse me!"

Homura, however, shook her head and flashed a small smile for the freshman.

"It's alright, Michi. Come on inside - and close the door behind you." The sophomore said as she patted the edge of the stage beside her, "You came here to practice too, didn't you?"

Michi gave the sophomore a thankful nod and then did as she was told, closing the door behind her and joining Homura on the moonlit stage. The smell of cherry blossom shampoo reached Homura's nose as Michi sat beside her. It was a pleasant scent that complemented that of the lillies.

"That was the Watchmaker's Daughter's Lament." Michi said knowingly as she took her place beside Homura. She looked up to the half-moon hanging in the sky with a tender smile and recited the rest of the lines, " _Tomorrow and the day after that, shall be the night of Walpurgis_."

"Correct." Homura gave an approving nod, "You seem to know the lines well, Michi - even mine."

"Well… I have been on edge for quite some time now, so I calm myself down by reading through the script - all of it." Michi started as she turned to Homura with a nervous smile, "To tell you the truth, though I hate to admit it, I get more than my fair share of stage fright." She then faced the rows of moonlit chairs and bleachers and imagined them filled with a captive audience watching her with smiles on their faces. A hopeful glimmer appeared in Michi's eyes and she said, "But when the time finally comes, I can march onto the stage and give it my all. Then I wonder why I was afraid in the first place."

"I can see that, Michi." Homura chuckled as she too faced the empty chairs and bleachers, "After all, you have much more resolve than what you let on… more strength than you think you have."

"What are you talking about, Homura-san?" Michi tilted her head in confusion.

"Hmm…" She peeked at Michi out of the corner of her eye, "never mind." A sly smile formed on Homura's lips, "I was just talking to myself."

"Is that so?" Michi pulled up her legs and hugged her knees at the edge of the stage and wore a small smile on her lips, "In that case, I'm looking forward to tomorrow. All of our hard work so far will finally bear fruit."

"Yes indeed. It shall be a splendid performance," Homura said in a calm yet cryptic tone as she stole an appraising glance at the moonlit profile of Michi Hideyoshi beside her, " one that we'll remember for the rest of our lives."

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**The Ninth Symphony**

* * *

**Twentieth Act - La Galerie**

There it was again, Elise thought as she found herself lying on her back on a cold, marble-tiled floor with her eyes facing a strange, supposedly unfamiliar ceiling. The French girl blinked, shading her eyes with her hand as they adjusted to the light from a multitude of wrought iron chandeliers, but she already had a fair idea of where she was. It was the cryptic, endless hall of the art gallery that stretched as far as they eye could see - the gallery that she had been seeing in her dreams.

The French girl was in the middle of it all once again, flanked by walls of handsome wooden panels and with a floor of checkerboard marble tiles polished to a mirror-like sheen on which she laid. Countless paintings of landscapes and locales from all around the world lined the wooden walls while the ceiling of the hall itself was an intricate painting of a river that flowed from one endless end of the hall to the other.

Elise picked herself up from the floor and dusted the yellow sweater and the black skirt of her school uniform and then slipped on her brown school loafers that were lined neatly together beside her. When she finished, she turned to the river painted on the ceiling and tried to see where it was flowing. This wasn't the first time she had been to this gallery, she thought as she eyed the ceiling. Every time she had stumbled upon the gallery, the painting of the river seemed as if it were flowing distinctly towards one direction and Elise would, out of curiosity, follow the flow.

That time, though, the water was stagnant, liquid but frozen in place. Puzzled, Elise gave the ceiling another once over. It was also as if all the dust in the air had frozen in place. The gallery was different today: eerie, uninviting.

Elise felt a chilling, ethereal presence nearby. The French girl whirled left and right, but there was no sign of anyone else in the endless gallery but herself. Elise's heart started to race and the hairs on the back of her arms stood on end. She paced in circles with fear mounting in her heart. Then, she heard the curious tone of a disembodied voice speak.

" _Bienvenue, ma cherie_. You're here again, I see."

It was a proud and haughty voice that switched between French and English as if it were second nature to her.

"Ohoho~ No response, huh?" The disembodied voice taunted, exaggerating her _Parisian_ dialect even more now, "Would you like me to speak in _niedlich Deutsch_ instead? Your French sounds more _Alsacien_ than you would care to admit - more German than French." It was the sort of speech she heard in the few times the Strasbourg native visited Paris and it was a tone that Elise absolutely loathed. It was as if this ethereal presence knew that the French girl had little love for everything to do with Paris.

Her blood started to boil. She knew very well that she had a German accent - Strasbourg was close to the German border after all, and she was just as fluent in German as she was in French. However, hearing a stranger point it out to her in that manner was a mortal sin to the _Strasbourgienne_. This ethereal presence was trying to push Elise's buttons, and it was working way too well.

The voice then approached Elise and whispered now in a seamless melange of French and German, " _Ohohoho~ Sehr gut, ja, ma petit Strasbourgienne?_ "

That was the last straw. Elise clenched her fist, whirling around and demanded, "Who are you!?" her rage boiling over in a mad fit as she searched for the voice, "Why did you bring me here!?"

"One question at a time, _s'il vous plait_ \- _vous Alsacien_ is a little hard to understand when you're running around in circles like that, _oui?_ " The haughty, disembodied voice snickered as Elise stewed in her frustration before it answered, " _Je suis la belle_ curator of this fine art gallery - the caretaker, if you will - of _c'est petit_ establishment that you are wandering in." The ethereal presence then hung close to Elise once again as it continued, "As for your second question… it was not I who brought you here, _ma cherie_. You walked into this domain in your sleep - quite literally - and have been doing so on your own."

"Walked in my sleep…?" Elise repeated. She had figured out that that was the case, but she still couldn't seem to believe it.

"That's right." The voice confirmed, "And you have this, terrible, terrible habit of taking off your shoes and lying down on the ground like you own the place, _mein gott!_ You've done so every time you visit."

Elise grumbled, remembering how her shoes were placed neatly beside her when she woke up in the hall. The French girl shook her head with frustration, tight curls bouncing furiously as she asked,

"And why would I _want_ to come to this place?"

"You tell me, _ma cherie_." The voice replied with a patronizing chuckle, "I can't answer every question you hold in your heart, you know!"

"So, you are the curator of this gallery, _oui_? You must have seen me walk into this gallery many times already." Elise then countered, steadying her breath and shifting her eyes slowly from left to right. She then stole a quick glance at the stagnant river above, "Then why are you only talking to me now?"

"Ohoho~ you noticed that?" The voice gave an interested hum, "I am a free spirit - I can do what I want, when I want it. It has been absolutely hilarious watching you fumble around this gallery _comme une petit fille_." The voice then took a cryptic pause before it added, "But today is a special day."

"A special day?" Elise thought out loud. She was like a coiled spring waiting to pounce on her prey as she listened closely to the voice.

"May 1, 2088 - a normal Saturday for most folk, but a special day for us." The presence snickered again as it approached once more and spoke with emphasis, "A special day for me… and for you."

Elise gritted her teeth now and whirled around one last time. She knew the presence was there behind her, so she cried, "Show yourself!"

However, once again, there was nobody there - only her long shadow cast by the light of the wrought iron chandeliers that hung above.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, how _pathetique_. Raising your voice in an art gallery? Were you not taught manners in _l'ecole Strasbourgienne_?" The disembodied voice judged the disheartened Elise, "And 'show yourself', huh? Why… that would be a fool's errand."

"And why is that?" Elise asked with one last ounce of defiance, but her head was hanging low and her sharp tongue had long since dulled.

"Hmm…" the voice hummed craftily as it circled Elise with delight, "Many reasons, _ma cherie_ \- though I doubt any of it would make sense to you at this point. Let me offer you _ma petit conseil_ \- a piece of advice." The presence then came to a halt as it finally said with a grave tone, "It's not healthy to talk to yourself, Ca-ri-si-ma."

As soon as she heard this, a chill ran up Elise's spine. It was a Latin word that the knowledgeable Elise easily deciphered, but the word resonated with her heart in a way that she couldn't explain. It was as if something sleeping inside her had stirred. Her heart started to race again, her earlier composure crumbling like an old, forgotten wall. Then, she felt an ethereal hand that pushed her forward and sent her stumbling towards a large oil painting that hung on the wall - the exact same painting she had been restoring for the past two weeks.

The startled Elise ran into the painting, falling forward under her own weight. Then, as soon as her head hit the canvas, a bright white light blinded her and she felt her head slip through the painting.

…

_May 1, 2088 - Saturday_

It was early in the morning when Elise de Lamarliere jolted awake in a cold sweat. Her eyes shot open as she regarded another unfamiliar ceiling - the ceiling of the spare storehouse of the school auditorium that had become the _Hanasou Girls_ ' secret base. She was on her back again with her heart beating against her chest as she recalled her encounter with the formless curator in the endless gallery just moments ago. She then sat herself upright then laid a hand over her heart, relieved to know that she was still alive - and that she had gone to sleep in her nightwear and not her school uniform.

When she turned her eyes forward, however, she was greeted by the presence of the large canvass of the painting that she had been restoring for the past two weeks. It was there, resting against the storehouse wall and facing her. The sight of the painting gave her a start and the hand she kept over her heart turned into a grip as sweat started to form on her brow, but she couldn't turn her eyes away from the painting.

The voice of the curator of the strange gallery echoed in Elise's mind, haunting her as she stared into the lush forest of the painting. Her mind swam and her heart raced, but she could not tear herself from the sight of the painting. Then, the sheets of the futon beside Elise shifted and drew her attention.

Elise turned to her side and saw the most curious sight - Michi Hideyoshi lying just inches away, fast asleep. As Michi's roommate, Elise had gotten used to waking up and seeing the sleeping Michi make a mess of her blanket and her pillows. There was none of that this morning, however, as Michi slept serenely and kept her blanket and pillows within the borders of her own futon. It was strange that the one time that Elise saw Michi sleeping this peacefully was on a barely comfortable futon laid out on the cold concrete floor of the school auditorium's spare storehouse.

"What a strange girl." Elise chuckled as she leaned back into a more relaxed pose. She managed to face the painting again, this time with a mellower eye and a calmer heart. The tension she felt from earlier had all but melted away - and she had her peacefully sleeping roommate to thank. Elise gently patted Michi's shoulder, drawing a light groan from the Hokkaido native, before she gave her a thankful nod.

Elise then stood up and did a spot of stretching to fend off her lingering grogginess. She then started to put away her futon and took a quick look around the room. Lorelei and Ligaya, the ones who claimed the more comfortable spot by the sofa had left their futons untouched and had fallen asleep together on the sofa itself. Ligaya sat with her head tilted back and a copy of her script of the Thunder Sisters' show spread out to cover her face. Lorelei, on the other hand, was lying down with her head on the Filipina girl's lap while holding her own, now crumpled script in her arms like a pillow. Elise was tempted to get a picture of the sight on her WristComm 16, but she decided against it.

Still, seeing the Thunder Sisters like this made her realize just how much everyone was putting into this cultural festival. Elise didn't have to look far for more proof of that - the twelve dolls of _Hyouka Tabemasu_ were seated happily together on the metal racking behind the sofa and looked as if they were quiet guardians watching over the three sleeping girls in the room. Elise wandered over to the racks and came face to face with two of the dolls at the middle rack - the painter's daughter and the captain's daughter.

"I guess it will really be a special day, huh?" Elise muttered as she laid a gentle hand on the heads of the two dolls, "I'll have to do my best too."

Just as she said this, Elise heard the distinct creak of the auditorium door followed by the chatter of a lone pair of footsteps coming from down the hall. Curious, Elise put on her flip flops and then quietly made her way out into the hall. The footsteps she heard came to a stop at the auditorium's vending machine nook, followed by the clink of 100-yen coins and the dull thud of a drink carton.

Elise walked into the nook and then found Sayaka Miki there in her tracksuit, bending forward as she drew a carton of melon milk from the receptacle. The blue-haired sophomore then stood upright and turned to Elise with a polite smile, waving to the French girl with the carton still in her hand.

"Good morning, Duramayue-senpai."

"Good morning as well, Miki-san." Elise replied cordially as she joined Sayaka in the soft powder blue light of the vending machine. Her eyes turned from the the drink carton to Sayaka as she asked, "You came here all the way for a carton of melon milk?"

"Yeah, I did!" Sayaka said proudly, showing off her purchase to Elise, "This is the only vending machine in school that sells this stuff, y'know. The school isn't exactly fond of sweet drinks anymore so they keep all of these here in this nook hardly anyone knows about." The sophomore shook the carton then pulled out the attached straw as she said, "It's a shame - so many people are missing out on this classic."

"Every time I see you, you almost always have a carton of that stuff." Elise folded her arms and leaned against the vending machine, "Is melon milk really that good?"

"It's the stuff dreams are made of, Duramayue-senpai." Sayaka grinned as she poked a hole at the top of the carton with her straw as if it were second nature, "It's as close to _heaven_ as you can get."

Sayaka then took a sip of her melon milk before she wore a delighted smile. She really did seem to enjoy that stuff, Elise thought. It was the most earnest smile she had seen Sayaka wear ever since they met. However, in spite of that, Elise could sense some heavy weight behind that smile - as if the sophomore was desperately holding something back. With a breath of sympathy, Elise decided not to ask about it.

"Say, Miki-san…" Elise said instead, "I want to thank you for that paper charm you gave me when you came by the _Hanasou_ two weeks ago." The French girl scratched the back of her head as she added, "I don't know what to do with it, but I do keep it with me in my schoolbag."

"Really now? I'm glad you like it, senpai." Sayaka grinned with the straw between her teeth. She let go of the straw then tilted her head slightly as she thoughtfully hummed, "As for the use… I guess they could be like good luck charms! You can write something you really, really want on the charm then hang it in your room, accessorize your bag or anything you can think of!"

"A good luck charm, huh?" Elise thought out loud as she leaned against the vending machine, "What did you write on yours, Miki-san?"

The sophomore's grin grew wider, as if she had been waiting for Elise to ask. She dug into the pockets of her tracksuit pants then pulled out one of her powder blue paper charms and proudly read it out, "Justice!"

Elise squinted as she brought her face closer to the paper charm spinning slowly on its charcoal grey string as it hung from Sayaka's hand. It was hard to read the writing at first, but it was crystal clear when she drew closer. That was odd, Elise thought. She always thought she had perfectly good eyesight - or was it just Sayaka's handwriting? As Elise was trying to figure out which was which, she suddenly felt Sayaka looking her way.

"Miki-san?" Elise tilted her head as she brought her face away from the charm, "Is something wrong?"

"Hmm… nothing really." Sayaka kept the charm then joined her hands behind her back as she grinned, "Must have been my imagination."

"Imagination?" Elise was puzzled.

"Anyways, senpai. I should get going." Sayaka cut Elise off before she could say any more as she turned her back to Elise, "The day's about to begin and our jobs will be in full swing." The sophomore then showed Elise the carton of melon milk she held in her hand and gave the senior a sidelong glance, "But let's not forget to enjoy today to the fullest - it's a special day after all."

On that note, Sayaka walked on down the hall and into the school courtyard. Elise, on the other hand, hung her head low as Sayaka's words lingered in her mind.

"A 'special day'…" Elise mused as she watched Sayaka pass through the auditorium's double doors. It reminded her of the words of the curator in the endless gallery. The way that Sayaka acted towards the end too felt a little off somehow, but Elise couldn't figure out why. As the morning sunlight flowed through the open door, Elise's shadow grew long and shifted for a brief moment. Then the door slammed shut.

* * *

**First Interlude**

Sayaka Miki walked down the school courtyard towards the main school building as she sipped the carton of melon milk she held in her hands. As the doors of the auditorium slammed shut behind her, the cordial smile she wore melted into a neutral mug and a shadow formed over her eyes as she walked with her head hanging low.

The sophomore then stopped as she passed by one of the bush planters in the courtyard where half-finished stalls and tents were being erected. Sayaka's eyes swept through the courtyard and saw that she was the only one there. A quick glance showed her that there was no one watching her from behind the two school buildings' glass walls either, but there were flocks of birds in the sky - and a Mitakihara Police helicopter in the distance making its rounds through the Eighth District more frequently than usual.

"I don't have much time…" Sayaka mused. She hastily dug into her tracksuit pockets and pulled out more than two dozen spent Grief Cubes, black as night and emanating an unsettling aura. Sayaka winced as she looked at the horrible sight in her hands and lamented in a whisper, "Here's my part of the bargain."

Making sure nobody was watching her, she tossed the spent cubes into the bush, tossed her emptied melon milk carton into a nearby trash bin then hurriedly pulled out one of her powder blue paper charms - the one she showed to Elise just moments ago. With practiced skill, she tied the paper charm to the bush with a tidy charcoal grey knot. She swept her surroundings once more and then carried on down to the main school building's front entrance as inconspicuously as she possibly could.

When Sayaka got to the threshold, however, the intimidating figure of the student council president, Noe Ogasawara, was leaning against the door with her saxophone case in hand. The student council president didn't say a word but she flashed her menacing, dismissive smirk at Sayaka as the blue-haired sophomore passed her by.

"What a troublesome raspberry." Ogasawara sighed as she peeled herself from the door and followed Sayaka back into the main building.

* * *

**Twenty-first Act - We Wouldn't Miss It For The World**

Later that morning, at the peaceful service road that climbed up the gentle hill to the Mitakihara Junior High School, an amber 2085-model, left-hand drive Ford Fiesta subcompact with a California plate drove on through. Audrey Burnham sat at the driver's seat, wearing a comfortably breezy white blouse adorned with a cravat-like amber ribbon and a pair of designer shades that rested on the bridge of her nose. The American turned to her right and then saw her first passenger - the little, white-haired Nagisa Momoe clad in her pastel pink polka-dot sailor's dress who was looking out the window with great fascination.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Nagisa piped up, bouncing up and down in the passenger's seat as she took in the sights of the Eighth District from the hillside road. She then turned to Audrey and beamed, "This is amazing, Audrey-neesama! Thanks for giving us a ride!"

A chuckle slipped through Audrey's lips as she saw this. She appreciated the little girl's earnest thanks, but this was the first time she had ever heard anyone that excited to ride a Ford Fiesta.

"It's my pleasure. Glad you're having fun, _pardner_." Audrey replied with a grin of her own, speaking in her best impersonation of Clint Eastwood but falling woefully short as usual, "Besides, we're neighbors - so this is totally fine. We're going to the same place too, after all, so it works out."

"Still, we have to thank you for taking us." Mami Tomoe, the passenger behind Audrey was gracious. She then turned to the passenger beside her with a motherly smile and then added "My friend Sakura-san and I overslept and we missed our bus to school."

"Nagisa tried to wake them up, but they were sleeping like logs, though, Audrey-neesan!" Nagisa then piped, "I ended up having to make toast for all three of us!"

"And it was quite delicious toast, Nagisa-chan." Mami kindly praised. Nagisa beamed proudly in response then turned back to look out the passenger seat window.

"This is quite a fortunate turn of events though." Audrey then said happily as she glanced at the golden-haired girl in her rear view mirror, "My boss Junko's going to be there to see Madoka's performance later this afternoon, and my colleague is coming too. It's a nice break from the staple stable Saturday of lazing around." A flourish of pride then seeped into Audrey's tone as she added, "Plus if it's Madoka's performance, my colleague and I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Eh, you know Madoka?" Kyouko Sakura, the third passenger seated behind Nagisa remarked this time, followed by a greatly satisfying yawn. The sophomore had been half-asleep when Mami and Audrey brought helped her into the car at the apartment's parking lot. Ever since then, she had slipped back into her deep slumber.

"Yes, I do!" Audrey flashed a smile at her sophomore passenger through the mirror as well. She then proceeded to introduce herself to Kyouko before telling her story of how she and her Ukrainian colleague Serafina ended up becoming Madoka's guardians in San Francisco. It was a long, eventful story of adventures and misadventures that she had gotten used to telling as of late, and one she particularly enjoyed telling.

"Is that so?" Kyouko hummed with interest as she listened to Audrey's story. She then folded her arms with an amused sigh, "Madoka's really lucky then, huh? She has so many people at her side."

"And that includes you and your friends too, Sakura-san." Audrey then added as she turned the wheel gently along with the mild bend of the road, "Madoka was quite a shy one when she was in San Francisco who gets embarrassed easily. Lately, though, she has been all smiles and seems much more sure-footed than before. Our boss Junko says she's noticed it too." The American then glanced at her rear-view mirror and smiled at her two middle-schooler passengers then to the elementary schooler beside her and said, "As someone who cares about Madoka very much - I want to thank you all, I mean it."

"Ehehe, that's kinda embarrassing." Kyouko's face flushed as she tried to hide her widening smile, "Don't worry then, onee-san - you'll get to see a lot of Madoka at the performance this afternoon. She's got a lot of lines to say too… or at least her characters do!"

"I see - I'll look forward to that then." Audrey seemed a little bit excited. She then glanced at her passengers in the rearview mirror then asked, "And you and Tomoe-san are puppetmasters of the show too, right?"

"Oh yeah, we are!" Kyouko said gamely, giving the American a peace sign through the mirror, "Kyouko Sakura at your service! I'm playing most of the secondary characters - but I practiced all of the characters' lines too! Stayed up all night practicin'!"

"Which is why Sakura-san is still half-asleep." Mami added with a crafty smirk.

"Yup!" Slow to react, Kyouko spoke proudly at first before it dawned upon her. She then paused and turned to Mami with a clenched fist, "Hey!"

The red-haired sophomore then heard Nagisa in front of her, struggling to covering her mouth as she was about to burst into laughter. The little had been quiet for a while, but she was listening intently the whole time. Kyouko wore a blank expression, feeling betrayed, before she sighed and laughed along with her two favorite friends.

Audrey glanced at the happy scene around her before turning her eyes back to the road with a smile on her lips. Madoka really was lucky, the American thought with a nostalgic smile. Audrey was glad that Madoka had these people around her, but at the same time, Audrey felt a little bit jealous - almost. How she wished she enjoyed her younger years as much as these kids did.

Then, for a brief moment, she felt Nagisa's orange eyes cast a worried glance towards her. When Audrey turned to look, however, the elementary schooler had already turned her eyes back to the scene beyond the car window with all her childlike fascination. Was it just her imagination? Audrey sighed then carried on driving her amber Fiesta down the hillside road.

* * *

**Twenty-second Act - Festivals Really Bring People Together, Huh?**

They soon approached the parking lot at the back of the school where they started to hear the sound of lively pop music playing on from the chartered sound system towers set up all around the campus. Banners and streamers were hanging from the school's tall fence of glass and wrought iron and sparse barrages of light fireworks burst into puffs of white powder in the cloudless blue skies above. The spectacle captivated the young Nagisa's attention as she stopped close to pressing her face against the glass of the Ford Fiesta's window. Then, the automatic window retracted down, surprising the little girl.

Nagisa turned over to the driver's seat and saw Audrey pressing the window button for her while flashing her a thoughtful smile. The little girl thankfully returned the gesture then looked outside once again in awe. From the hillside road, they could see long lines of people already lined up at the front entrance reaching all the way down to the end of the Kagami tree-lined path. Likewise, there Audrey's Fiesta started to slow down as a queue of cars started to appear ahead of them.

As a gentle breeze blew in through the window and brushed back Nagisa's long locks of white hair, the chime of the school's PA system sounded followed by an energetic announcement on the speaker towers all over the campus,

"Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the Mitakihara Junior High School Cultural Festival on this lovely, lovely Spring day!" A first voice declared, speaking like a sparkplug of boundless energy, "This is Lorelei Sankt from Class 1-2…"

"And this is Ligaya de la Cruz - also from Class 1-2." A second voice quickly followed, speaking in a careful voice with slowly brewing enthusiasm, "And together, we're…"

The two girls then declared at the same time, "THE THUNDER SISTERS OF MITAKIHARA!"

"Awawa~!" Nagisa giddily squeaked as her orange eyes sparkled with delight, "They really used their nickname!"

The elementary schooler beamed as she listened to the lively exchange of Lorelei and Ligaya as they opened the festival and introduced the major acts that the school had lined up for the day. There was a whole lot of emphasis on _Hyouka Tabemasu_ though, Nagisa thought as Ligaya started to stumble here and there with more complex phrases as she was thanking their sponsors. Nonetheless, Ligaya's Japanese was improving and that's what mattered to Nagisa.

"Haaah… though you already spoke perfect Japanese back then…" Nagisa mused reminiscently before she heaved a heavy sigh. A long spell of thoughtful silence then followed.

Moments later, just as Audrey's turn to enter the parking lot came, a car pulled up behind the Fiesta and honked twice. The American's eyes shot to the rearview mirror, as did Nagisa's, and they saw a white 2085-model Honda Grace being driven by an Eastern European young woman two years Audrey's junior. The young woman then grinned at the two of them when they looked.

"It's _bryndza-neesama_!" Nagisa recognized the young woman at the wheel. The little girl turned to her side, as far as the restraints of her seatbelt would take her and she waved back enthusiastically.

"'Bryndza-neesama?'" Mami tilted her head, not sure of what to make of Nagisa's odd expression - and the fact that the little girl didn't stutter.

"Ah, that's because my colleague Serafina - the one driving the Grace behind us - gave Nagisa-chan some _bryndza_ cheese that she really liked." Audrey then explained as her subcompact crawled along into the school carpark. The American then laughed as she reminisced, "Nagisa-chan calls me ' _cheddar-neesama_ ' sometimes too."

Mami promptly shot a stern look at Nagisa, drawing an uncomfortable laugh from the little child. When Kyouko laid a hand on Mami's shoulder, however, the golden-haired senior sighed and let Nagisa off the hook.

With that, Audrey's Ford Fiesta and the Kaname family's Honda Grace rolled into the parking lot together. In spite of the long queues, they found two good parking spots side by side beneath the shade of a cherry blossom tree whose canopies have long since turned green. Nagisa hopped out of the Fiesta's passenger seat and made a beeline for the Grace and the gentle giant who drove it there.

" _Bryndza-neesama!_ " Nagisa greeted as she charged at the Ukrainian at top speed.

"Aha~, Nagisa- _tovarysh_ is lively again today!" Serafina squatted then caught the youngster in her arms, locking her in a tight bear hug and doted, "Tomoe- _tovarysh_ has been feeding you well, _sonechko!_ "

"You think so?" Nagisa chuckled as she managed to break free from Serafina's clutches, "I have been trying to gain a little weight - it might help me get taller, you see!" The little girl then turned to Serafina and was about to say something when she noticed that the gentle giant's face looked the tiniest bit gaunt. So Nagisa asked instead, "Are you on a diet, _bryndza-neesama_?"

"You could say that, _tovarsh_." The Ukrainian gave off an uncomfortable laugh. She then put her hands on her hips and stood upright with a reassuring grin, "Besides, I'm tall enough as it is already!"

A tinge of concern spilled into Nagisa's expression, but the Ukrainian then managed to wear a reassuring smile. 'Thank you, but I'm fine.' it seemed to say. The little girl had no choice but to believe in that.

As they were talking, the sharp-looking figure of Junko Kaname stepped out from the passenger seat door of the Honda Grace, clad in breezy designer clothes that easily shaved her age back to the late 20's. Audrey came by to greet Junko and the two of them quickly started complementing each other's clothes. The two women were well-off, after all, and were fond of looking their best.

When Nagisa turned to Serafina's clothes, she noticed the high-end branded embroidery on the blazer that she wore. The little girl saw that same style of blazer before in the many times Mami and Kyouko brought her to the _Mirai 812_ mall - sitting right beside the breezy Spring collection clothes that Audrey and Junko were wearing. The plain white blouse and the matching navy-blue skirt she wore, however, were ones that Nagisa had never seen before. She was certain of it. The blouse and the skirt were much simpler, without any of the flourish that designer clothing often had. As far as Nagisa could see, aside from the blazer, Serafina's clothes were hand-made - and meticulously so.

Serafina saw Nagisa's curious eyes on her blouse and skirt, so she gestured a gentle 'shhh' to the child then whispered, "Only you and Madoka- _dynya_ know, so don't tell a soul!"

Nagisa nodded dutifully and the Ukrainian flashed a quick smile. She then joined Audrey and Junko and formed their working-lady trio once more.

'It seems like they're doing well here too,' Nagisa thought as a gentle breeze blew by.

It was at this time that Madoka Kaname emerged from the Grace, the her pink hair tied up into a short, neat ponytail that swayed in the kind winds. Her pink eyes met Nagisa's and she flashed the child a radiant smile.

"Good morning, Nagisa-chan." Madoka spoke in her earnestly tender voice. It was a voice that was captivating and warm - one that many people would call angelic. Nagisa, however, saw that smile in a different light and felt a sea of emotions brewing up in her heart.

"Madoka… neesama." Nagisa started in a daze, "Ah.. I mean, Madoka-neechan!"

The pink-haired girl's smile brightened as she approached the white-haired child and held both of her hands. "Glad to see you here today."

"Same here. Ahehehe~" Nagisa laughed shyly, barely able to hide her flushed red face as she squeezed Madoka's hands in hers. In her mind, she fondly recalled a similar scene from what felt like a long time ago. The Madoka she recalled in that fond memory and the Madoka with whom she was holding hands was the same person - there was no doubt about that. Knowing that, however, made the little girl more uneasy than relieved - but she forced herself to keep wearing her childlike smile.

Nagisa managed to gather herself, though, when she noticed that Madoka was wearing her school tracksuit and that she smelled of her fragrant cherry blossom shampoo. The pink-haired sophomore looked quite well-rested too, so Nagisa had to ask,

"Madoka-neechan - you didn't stay overnight at the school?"

Madoka shook her head then redoubled her smile as she said, "I had errands to run at home, you see - and I had to take care of my little brother Tatsuya too." She then let go of Nagisa' hands and patted the little girl's head saying, "It's just like Mami-san and Kyouko-chan staying to take care of you."

"I see…" Nagisa hummed as she joined her hands pensively behind her back.

Satisfied as well, the pink-haired girl then turned to Mami and Kyouko and asked,

"Shall we get going?"

The golden-haired senior, however, was focused on a formless screen projected by her WristComm device and the red-haired sophomore hung around her. The two of them were paying so much attention to Mami's device that they nearly didn't hear Madoka calling. Kyouko heard Madoka the second time around and apologized,

"Sorry Madoka, Nagisa, looks like Homura wants to see me and Mami right away."

"We'll meet the two of you there at the auditorium." Mami closed the formless screen and switched off her device with a serious air about her, "In the meantime, could you look after Nagisa-chan for us, Kaname-san?"

"Ah, sure…" Madoka was surprised, but she took on the responsibility in stride. When she turned to her mother and the two young ladies, the three adults were engrossed in their own world as well.

"Madoka, we'll come and see you later at the auditorium too just before the curtain call." Junko then said, excitement spilling into her voice, "Your auntie Kazuko said that there was _amazake_ for the staff and the parents in the auxiliary building so - uh - we have to check it out!"

"...Ehhhh~?" Madoka was in disbelief now, but the three adults had already started making their way to the back entrance. She could already make out the plucky figure of Kazuko Saotome in the distance, beckoning the three to come over. Mami and Kyouko too went on ahead, passing through the back entrance in a hurry. Madoka sighed but put some effort into a kind smile as she faced Nagisa and said, "It's just you and me then, Nagisa-chan. Let's go?"

Nagisa nodded her head then flashed a bright smile at Madoka. The little girl took Madoka's hand and then the two of them walked to the back entrance together.

* * *

**Second Interlude**

Warm afternoon sunlight flowed into the main auditorium hall as the students of Class 2-1 and their cadre of volunteers were scattered around the hall to make their final preparations. It was half an hour to curtain call, Nagisa thought as she sat in the front row of folding chairs just over a meter away from the stage buzzing with activity. From where she sat, she could see Mami, Kyouko and Michi - three of the puppetmasters of _Hyouka Tabemasu_ \- dressed in their tracksuits, placing props and set pieces around the stage with everyone else. Elise de Lamarliere was attending to the background panels, placing some finishing touches here and Kamijou and Noe Ogasawara were practicing their overture medley one last time, following the surprisingly capable conduction of Sayaka Miki. All the while, Hitomi Shizuki, the president of Class 2-1 was rushing to and fro in a hurry, barking orders as she ran through her checklist in a mad minute.

"They're really cutting it close." Nagisa cringed as she mused.

"That's because it's a really big project, Nagisa-chan." The kindly voice of Madoka explained as she appeared beside Nagisa with a pair of drink cartons in hand. She offered one to the elementary-schooler with a smile, "Here you go."

"Thanks, Madoka-neechan!" Nagisa beamed back as she took the carton. When she read the packaging, however, she tilted her head and asked, "Melon milk?"

"It's the only drink left in the vending machine here, Nagisa-chan." Madoka apologized, but insisted with a smile, "This brand is still very good though. It was my favorite from way back when - and I'm surprised they still carry it here."

Nagisa hummed with mild intrigue then poked the plastic straw through the top of the carton. The little girl then took a sip then tasted the burst of flavor spread across her mouth. The melon milk was sweet, almost too sweet, and the melon flavor was nowhere near the real thing - a far cry from the handmade melon tarts that Mami made from time to time. She stole a glance at Madoka who took the seat beside hers and saw the pink-haired sophomore enjoying the sweet drink with nostalgic gusto. Out of consideration, Nagisa continued to sip through the melon milk with as straight a face as she could manage.

"I'll be honest with you Nagisa-chan," Madoka then started as she thoughtfully lowered her carton to her lap, "I was a little bit worried at first about _Hyouka Tabemasu_. I felt that Homura-chan was trying to bite off more than she could chew." She then watched the stage buzzing with activity with a smile and added, "But Homura-chan pressed on and wrote this play with all her heart. She even got everyone here to be part of it - it's wonderful really."

Nagisa blinked and lowered her milk carton to her lap as well as Madoka spoke. Little did the sophomore know that her words took on an entirely different meaning for the child. A complex expression threatened to grow on Nagisa's small visage, but she forced herself to stay poker faced. Then, Madoka turned to Nagisa happily and said,

"I'm glad that I can help bring Homura's story to life. I truly am."

Nagisa's pensive silence only deepened when Madoka said this, compounding the myriad of thoughts already swirling around in her mind. That silence, however, was broken when the pink-haired sophomore gently patted Nagisa's shoulder and bid farewell,

"I have to get going now, Nagisa-chan." Madoka said with an apologetic smile as she turned to the bustling stage, "Everyone still needs my help."

The sophomore then climbed up to the stage to join the madness of the last minute rush.

"They do need you, Madoka-neesan." The little girl quietly mused when Madoka was out of earshot, "Now more than ever."

The warm sunlight that was flowing in through the auditorium skylights were then swept away into darkness as thick curtains of dark purple were pulled over the glass. Stage lights then came on with loud metallic clicks, illuminating the bustling stage in a myriad of shimmers. The background paintings of Elise de Lamarliere came to life beneath the electric lights, as if the mundane auditorium stage had given way to a small, rustic European town nestled between a sprawling forest and a winding river.

The new show was about to begin, Nagisa thought. _Hyouka Tabemasu_.

* * *

**Twenty-third Act - The Gembound Storm**

Curtain call finally came and Nagisa watched as the sealed doors of the main auditorium hall opened to the public. Rivers of people flowed into the hall, ushered by a small brigade of student council members stationed at the doors and in the aisles. Before long, the river quickly filled the rows of folding chairs around Nagisa and the upholstered second-floor bleachers above her. The seats beside her, however, remained curiously empty as the student council ushers kept anyone from sitting at front row-center - the best seats in the house.

Despite this, the lively cadre of Junko, Audrey and Serafina were allowed through the informal cordon without a hitch.

"Thanks for saving us seats, kiddo!" Junko whispered her gratitude and gave a thumbs up.

Nagisa gave an uncomfortable laugh and just returned a thankful nod - after all, she didn't really do a thing. She knew all too well that all this was happening according to someone's design.

The little girl sighed and then regarded the thick red stage curtains that covered the magnificent realm that she had seen just minutes ago. The handsful of Class 2-1 students and their volunteers also disappeared behind the curtain, all of them now scrambling to get into position. The pit band, led by their blue-haired conductor then began to play their overture and the auditorium doors were closed once more. Lights dimmed and the din of the curious crowd was hushed as the light notes of the overture continued.

A trio of spotlights then focused on center stage where the lithe figure of Homura Akemi appeared, wearing the school's maroon tracksuit and her dark hair tied into a neat, long ponytail. All eyes in the auditorium instantly fell on the lone sophomore and the bright, purple earring that she wore which swayed from side to side as she regarded her audience with a hint of pride.

"Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for coming." Homura spoke in a resolute voice that resounded clearly in the main auditorium hall, "Hyouka Tabemasu is a story about the simple joys and the innocence of childhood - innocence taken advantage of by empty promises, and innocence that is gone all too soon. In spite of this, the twelve daughters of the woodland town will choose to dream of a better tomorrow - for love, and for mercy. So without further ado, we present to you _Hyouka Tabemasu_!"

Homura's speech was met with polite applause and she was joined onstage by her four fellow puppetmasters - Mami Tomoe, Kyouko Sakura, Madoka Kaname and Michi Hideyoshi. The five of them held hands and bowed together, drawing a louder round of applause before they retreated back into the shadows. On that mark, the curtains parted and the mundane auditorium transformed into the scene of the small, rustic European town once more. Oohs and ahs from the captivated audience paired with the emotional swell of the overture.

As this spectacle was unfolding around her, Nagisa sat still and closed her eyes in quiet focus. The little girl felt the faint yet unsettling presence of something familiar nearby - something that she had not felt in a long, long while. Nagisa lowered her head then quietly opened her right hand where a small, silver ring coalesced with a dim flash of orange light. The orange gem that adorned the silver ring flickered ever so slightly, and Nagisa promptly dissolved the ring before anyone noticed. It was a familiar pattern, she told herself - one that she wasn't particularly glad to see again.

The little girl gathered herself then swept her eyes swept from right to left, looking over her shoulders as well to find that everyone's attention was fixed to the stage and the scene of the European town. The student council ushers too had taken their seats among the audience and were watching the spectacle of _Hyouka Tabemasu_ unfold. This was her chance, the little girl thought. She tapped the shoulder of Audrey Burnham beside her and whispered,

"Hey, Cheddar-neesama, I need to go to the bathroom."

"Now?" Audrey, an avid theatergoer, was perplexed by the timing. The American scratched the back of her head, her eyes darting between the child beside her and the presence of Mami, Kyouko along with their fellow puppetmasters returning to stage with their puppets in tow. Audrey wondered what either of those two would have done in her shoes. After a moment of thought, she hobbled together a kind smile for Nagisa then asked, "Do you want me to bring you there?"

"It's fine, Cheddar-neesama - I was just letting you know." The little girl whispered her assurance, "I already know the way there."

"You do?" Audrey tilted her head with surprise before giving Nagisa a small nod, "Alright then, but hurry back so you don't miss the show okay?"

Nagisa nodded back then quietly hopped off her chair, keeping her head low as she carefully made her way through the dim aisles. The little girl kept track of the eyes of the audience around her, especially those of the student council members scattered about the auditorium hall. She kept pace with the music of the pit band, masking the sound of her sneakers with the orchestra's strains before finally reaching the doors to the auditorium corridor. Nagisa pulled open the door without a sound then snuck through into the corridor.

Nagisa closed the door behind her then heaved another sigh of relief. She then summoned her silver ring once more and wore it on the middle finger of her right hand. The orange gem of Nagisa's ring flickered wildly like a sparse thunderstorm had broken out inside of it.

"These are rather powerful magical fields…" Nagisa noted as she tried to make sense of the distorted light of her Soul Gem. The little girl could feel strong magic emanating from every inch of the walls, floors and ceiling of the auditorium building, casting the faintest glow of purple that would have eluded the untrained eye. More than that, however, the familiar pattern of flickering lights worried Nagisa.

"What's going on?" The little girl mused her disbelief. The flickering lights on her ring however remained. It wasn't a fluke - that was the pattern of a Witch. What was a Witch doing here in the midst of such powerful magical barriers?

The answer would elude Nagisa as she started to hear footsteps coming from the other end of the hall - a pair of brown Mitakihara Junior High School loafers that sounded hollowly against the poured concrete floor and the brick walls headed towards her. Nagisa shook her head then hurried down the hall, following the guidance of her Soul Gem towards the familiar pattern.

Nagisa then found herself at the doors of the spare storeroom of the auditorium. She slid open the door then stole into the spare storeroom, all the while hearing the ominous footsteps draw closer and closer. Nagisa held her left hand over her ring then, with a flash of bright orange light, summoned a peculiarly small, and odd black trumpet with red and white polka-dot pattern. She caught the trumpet in her left hand and gripped onto its handle tightly as she frantically searched for the source of the pattern.

"Where is it!?" Nagisa clicked her tongue as she darted from one end of the room to the other. The white-haired trumpeter held out her Soul Gem, but the flickering pattern seemed to have disappeared. Nagisa's heart beat against her chest as the footsteps came to a stop behind the door to the spare storehouse.

Through the frosted glass of the sliding doors, Nagisa could see the silhouette of a girl with long, twin pigtails standing there. The figure knocked on the door thrice and the mischievously sugarcoated voice of Noe Ogasawara then called,

"Is there somebody in here, noi?" The student council president asked as the silhouette of a long, thick needle appeared beside her, "Or did a rodent find its way here? I wonder." A snicker then erupted from behind the door as she menacingly added, "I'm not very fond of rodents, you know."

Frightened, Nagisa took a step back and then bumped into a large canvass on the floor that had been leaning against the wall. There was nowhere to hide, Nagisa thought as her black trumpet trembled in her left hand. She brought the trumpet's mouthpiece to her lips and readied herself to play an etude - the Largo of _Dvorak's Ninth Symphony_.

Then, all of the sudden, Nagisa felt ethereal hands grab her shoulders and pulled her backwards into the canvass. When the sliding doors of the spare storehouse opened and Noe Ogasawara stormed into the room, there was not a soul to be found.

* * *

**Twenty-fourth Act - The Interlude of Painted Sweets**

Pulled in by the ethereal hands, Nagisa tumbled backwards and watched the locks of her white hair trail before her eyes and as the dark space of the spare storehouse disappear into a vortex. The little girl then landed on her side with a dull thud against a polished floor of checkerboard marble and the small, black trumpet she wielded slipped from her hand and tumbled away from her. Nagisa winced, but she instinctively reached for her trumpet even before she could get her bearings.

However, an intricately designed, brown leather boot suddenly placed itself in between Nagisa's hand and the trumpet then kicked the instrument further away. A tall, willowy presence loomed over Nagisa as the little girl dared to look up the intricate boot. The figure wore a smart, lilac, double-breasted tunic over a neat pair of khaki trousers trimmed with twin red stripes. A lilac officer's cap crowned the figure and cast a shadow over her face, but Nagisa noticed distinctly wavy locks of red hair flowing down the sides of the cap.

"E-Elise-neesama?" Nagisa stuttered in disbelief. However, a grin formed on the figure's shadow-shrouded lips.

"Close, but not quite."

Gritting her teeth, Nagisa rolled away from the figure then skillfully rose up on bended knee in a swift motion. She then quickly dispelled her old trumpet and summoned a new one in quick succession, pointing the trumpet like a pistol at where the figure stood. However, neither the figure nor her intricate uniform were there. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.

Nagisa gathered her bearings and saw that she had been whisked away into some sort of art gallery with polished checkerboard marble floors and walls of handsome mahogany panels. The gallery stretched forwards and backwards endlessly and paintings of various landscapes lined neatly lined the walls.

There was no mistaking it, Nagisa thought as she gripped her trumpet tightly. This was a Witch's barrier, and the looming presence that 'greeted' her was the Witch of the realm.

" _Sacre bleu_! And here I thought I could take it easy on a Saturday - as if dealing with one lost, sleepwalking runt wasn't enough, I have to deal with another." The frustrated voice of the presence echoed in the hall, making Nagisa whirl around in circles with her trumpet firmly in hand. The presence clicked her tongue then sighed, "You should be thankful, you know. I just saved you from that doll-faced murderer too."

Nagisa recalled the ethereal hand that dragged her into the painting and the passive stance of the figure when she was still lying on the floor. This Witch refrained from attacking her when she was vulnerable - and this Witch was _speaking_ to her in French-peppered Japanese. Witches didn't speak human language, but this one spoke remarkably well. The little girl gulped then called out to the presence,

"I request a _parley_." Nagisa lowered her trumpet and faced the ceiling, regarding the painting of the river that adorned it for the first time, "But if you fight me, I will not hold back."

"I see you are a reasonable one, _mademoiselle_." The voice of presence was receptive as the sound of footsteps came from behind Nagisa. The little girl turned around and saw the figure of the willowy sixteen year-old girl wearing the lilac military tunic taking off her cap and letting her wavy red hair flow down gracefully. The willowy girl then revealed her face to Nagisa - it was the spitting image of Elise.

"Very well, let us parley. That was my intention all along, after all." The willowy girl spoke with genteel, like a queen giving an audience to a peasant. Her ash grey eyes watched Nagisa and the shadow cast by the little girl with keen interest as she said, "I appreciate it that you had the courtesy to lower your weapon, but that means nothing if you are preparing your _own Witch_ to strike me."

An arrogant smirk formed on the willowy girl's lips as she faced Nagisa's shifting shadow. She then started to speak in an incomprehensible language as small puffs of white carrying runes escaped her mouth. Nagisa then noticed that her shadow started to flail around angrily.

"W-what did you say to her?" Nagisa asked worriedly, shifting her head from her shadow to the willowy girl.

"I introduced myself to your dear _Charlotte_ , the Witch of Sweets." The willowy girl explained as she folded her arms proudly, "I told her that I am the Witch _Francine_ , the Witch of Paintings, and that I will be the one to destroy her if she dares to misbehave - and everyone in that auditorium you came from will be none the wiser."

Nagisa gritted her teeth and clenched her fists but kept herself from saying anything. She then took a deep breath and mentally whispered to her shadow to stay put. Nagisa's shadow shook wildly in protest, but the little girl silenced Charlotte's presence with a glare. When she turned back to Francine, the Painting Witch gave her a nod of acknowledgement.

Nagisa took another breath and stole a glance at the painting through which she was dragged - an exact copy of the painting she saw in the auditorium's spare storehouse. The white-haired trumpeter then asked,

"Why did you bring me here? Why did you save me?"

"Why indeed, _ma cherie_. It would have been so much more fun to just tear you and your feisty caterpillar of a Witch companion to shreds right here and there like in the good old days." Francine playfully hummed as she twirled a lock of her wavy red hair in her well-manicured fingers, "It would have made for a wonderful painting, _oui_? Expressionism, perhaps?"

Nagisa's eyes narrowed, her patience running low, but Francine promptly gestured to her to calm down.

"But those days have come and gone, _jeune fille_." Francine reassured now as she put a hand on her hip, "Witches follow the Law of Cycles now and owe a great debt to the Goddess Madoka, especially we whose magi - our masters - chose to serve the Goddess again." She eyed the white-haired trumpeter and her shadow with a smirk and said, "It is why Charlotte is loyal to you and why I am loyal to Elise de Lamarliere. Hiding an ally of the old Carissima from the right hand of Akemi is the least I can do."

"I appreciate what you did, Francine-san, but if you remember the Law of Cycles… then..." Nagisa asked as a tide of bitter memories swept over her, "you must remember what happened to the Silver Garden." The little girl's hands clenched into fists and the trumpet she held trembled, "I wasn't there during the fall, but I need to know what happened."

The willowy Witch turned to Nagisa with a grim yet honest face then shook her head. Nagisa stamped her foot on the marble floor and the beginnings of tears formed in her eyes, demanding an explanation from Francine.

"We Witches coexist with our magi, yes, but we have been lying dormant ever since our magi were brought to the Silver Garden." Francine spoke in a serious tone as she peeled herself off of the mahogany-panel wall, "Only Charlotte and Oktavia were awakened by the Goddess when you and _mademoiselle_ Sayaka Miki entered Homulily's field way back then. The rest of us slept with one eye open, waiting for the time that we too would be awakened." The willowy Witch heaved a sigh and said, "But that time never came."

Nagisa wiped her tears with the back of her hand then faced Francine again as she said, "You seem wide awake to me, though."

"That's because today is a special day, _ma cherie_." Francine explained as she sauntered down the hall and watched the paintings that hung from the walls, "Charlotte felt it too, didn't she?" A vibrantly mischievous grin then broke out on her lips, "The day when the Witches come to gather for a feast."

A chill ran up Nagisa's spine as she realized what Francine was implying.

"Walpurgisnacht." Nagisa said the name grimly, gripping her trumpet tightly again, "Don't tell me that you're planning to…"

"Oh no, _ma cherie_. I plan to be a good little girl and stay put here in this gallery of mine." Francine reassured with a disinterested hum, "It's taken me a long time to entrench myself here, and I have no intention of sharing in Oktavia's misfortune of getting caught by the devil herself." She then tilted her head backwards to face Nagisa with a smirk, "Besides, it is not me who is making a big fuss about Walpurgisnacht - it's Homura Akemi."

"Homura-neechan?" Nagisa's heart throbbed as her imagination ran wild, "Why would she?"

The willowy Witch then gestured Nagisa to follow her and the little girl cautiously obliged. Francine brought Nagisa to one of the larger paintings in the gallery. It was a painting of a quaint riverside European town that sat by a lush forest - the exact same village painted on the backdrop that Nagisa saw on the set of Hyouka Tabemasu. Francine touched the painting and the painting faded into a transparent _portafinestra_ window - not unlike the ones in the Silver Garden's Cloister of Clouds. Through that window, Nagisa and Francine saw the animated performance of _Hyouka Tabemasu_ and the lively audience seated before them.

"I haven't been awake for a long time, and I shan't be awake for much longer, but I can tell that Akemi has been preparing day and night for today." Francine explained as she watched Homura skillfully guide both the Watchmaker's Daughter and the Gardener's Daughter in a happy dance, "I don't know for sure what Akemi's plan is, but I can tell that she has thought this through." The willowy Witch, having seen enough of the show, turned around and said, "This entire 'Cultural Festival' of hers is scripted for some greater purpose, and it's no coincidence that it falls on the day of Walpurgisnacht."

"I agree… and I think that Hyouka Tabemasu is a smokescreen." Nagisa then said observantly as she kept her eyes on the stage, "I've read the script countless times and Homura-neesan just talks about the past - about the Incubators' tricks, and about how sad she was when Madoka-neechan became our Goddess. It's nothing new." The trumpeter then saw the mischievous smiles of the Clara Dolls embedded in the audience and said, "Homura-neechan wants to keep all of us here in the auditorium to keep tabs on us. But why?"

"If we knew, we wouldn't be having this conversation, _ma petit Inspecteur_." Francine sighed as yawned sleepily as she leaned against the opposite wall, "Perhaps she was waiting for the storm to pass." She then looked up to the ceiling and watched the stagnant river above and said, "It won't be soon before long now."

When Francine said this, Nagisa saw the five puppetmasters standing together at center stage beneath the spotlights with their puppets in hand. They each gave the audience thankful bows one after another that were repaid with standing ovations. From where she stood, Nagisa also saw the students of Class 2-1 and their cadre of volunteers behind the curtains also cheered. In particular, Nagisa noticed Elise de Lamarliere watching from the wings of the stage with a kindly smile on her lips.

"In any case, I think I shall be calling it a day soon. The show has come to pass, after all." Francine had a long, satisfying stretch as she eyed the trio of Serafina, Audrey and Junko at the front row of the audience, "Those companions of yours are looking for you now." The Witch's eyes then caught the silhouette of Noe Ogasawara retreating from the pit once more and Francine snidely added, "And that doll-faced murderer is too, so you'd better hurry."

The willowy Witch then accompanied Nagisa to the replica of Elise's painting in the spare storehouse. Nagisa hesitantly touched the painting and watched as her hand went through the canvass and into the spare storehouse. She dissolved her black trumpet and then gave her haughty host a polite bow before turning back to the painting. Just as she was about to climb into it, Nagisa felt Francine lay a hand on her shoulder.

"What is it?" Nagisa asked with a mix of curiosity and surprise.

"Sleep with one eye open, _mademoiselle_." Francine then spoke cryptically as she gave Nagisa a wink, "You can never be too careful on the day of the festival, after all."

* * *

**Third Interlude**

Back in the main auditorium hall, once most of the audience had gone, Sayaka Miki stood at the conductor's podium before the pit band and set down her baton with a sigh of relief. She then gave the pit band a thankful nod while the ensemble returned a polite yet almost distant applause. Only Kyousuke Kamijou gave a warmer reception, coming over the podium and thanking Sayaka himself with earnest appreciation. Hitomi Shizuki, though not a member of the pit band herself, joined Kyousuke in thanking Sayaka.

"That was splendid conducting work, Sayaka-san! And Kyousuke's violin is as wonderful as ever!" Hitomi praised, giving a bow to the blue-haired conductor first, then to the charcoal-grey haired violinist, "There was a lot going on these past two weeks… we went through hell to get this performance together." She then smiled at the two of them and said, "When I listened to the music though, I knew that it was all worth it."

"You're exaggerating, Hitomi." Sayaka was embarrassed as she tried to wave away Hitomi's praise.

"No, I think so too, Sayaka." Kyousuke agreed with a happy grin, "Your conducting was spot on and we had an ensemble. The other pit band members are from other classes - other years,even - but all of them were watching you closely and listening well."

"Ahehe… I guess they were." Sayaka scratched the back of her head with an uncomfortable laugh. The conductor stole a glance at the other pit band members packing their instruments but she stopped herself from heaving a sigh. She knew all too well why the other pit band members were watching her, after all.

"Anyways, Sayaka-san," Hitomi then said as she tenderly brushed beside Kyousuke's arm and said, "Let's go around the festival stalls, just the three of us!" She then reached out her free hand to Sayaka and said, "It'll be fun - just like old times."

'Just like old times?' Sayaka thought as she cast a longing eye to the stage where the puppetmasters were helping the rest of Class 2-1 and their volunteers put away the dolls and the props. She watched Madoka who was embracing the doll of the Gardener's Daughter happily walking with Homura who had the doll of the Watchmaker's Daughter in tow. If they really wanted to go back to old times, Sayaka quietly mused, then Madoka would still be with them.

Sayaka took a deep breath, laid a hand on Kyousuke's and Hitomi's shoulders then grinned,

"It's alright - you two can go have your date. I don't want to be a third wheel." Sayaka then glanced at the stage once more and saw Michi and Elise sharing a light hearted chat. A cryptic smirk formed on her lips as she added, "I already have plans, after all."

* * *

**Twenty-Fifth Act, First Movement - It's A Special Day, After All**

From the shadows of the wings of the stage, hidden between the red curtains and the painted backdrop of the riverside European town, Elise de Lamarliere watched the final minutes of _Hyouka Tabemasu_ with folded arms and a smile on her lips. The French girl's ash grey eyes watched the dramatic finale of the show where her roommate Michi shared the spotlight with Homura at center stage. Michi pulled the strings of the dolls of the Captain's Daughter and the Painter's Daughter while Homura guided the dolls of the Watchmaker's Daughter and the Gardener's Daughter. Michi and Homura brought the dolls before each other to exchange gracious bows and the spotlight went dark.

Then, all at once, all three spotlights and all of the stage lights came on in unison. All of them were focused on the five puppetmasters who were now standing together on stage with all twelve puppets in tow. Like a torrent, the audience rose up and gave a heartfelt applause, peppered with the ecstatic cheers from Junko Kaname on the front row and the joint effort of Audrey Burnham and Serafina Larivenko to try and get her to calm down. Madoka was laughing uncomfortably from embarrassment for a while, but Homura to her left and Michi to her right reassured her and helped the pink-haired sophomore tide it over. When Junko and her posse finally simmered down, the five puppetmasters bowed together. The applause redoubled, and Elise gladly joined in on it as well from her perch in the wings.

The red curtains of the stage then fell and the giddy mob of Class 2-1 and their volunteers came rushing to the five puppetmasters and cheered them on rapturously. Elise, however, stood her ground and kept watch from the shadow of the wings. Then, as soon as the crowd started to disperse, Michi Hideyoshi emerged from the sea of students with the dolls of the Captain's and the Painter's daughters in tow and a thin film of sweat on her brow that dripped down to the collar of her school tracksuit. Michi's deep brown eyes then met with Elise's ash grey and a wave of relief swept over the freshman.

"Good work today, Michi." Elise said as she took the doll of the Painter's daughter to free Michi's hand. She then dug into her school sweater's pockets and pulled out a lilac-colored handkerchief for the freshman, "It was a wonderful performance."

"You think so?" A bashful smile grew on Michi's lips as she graciously took the lilac handkerchief and said, "I'm glad you liked it, Elise." The freshman then held the doll of the Captain's Daughter close to her heart as she added, "To tell you the truth, I was nervous."

"It didn't seem like that at all, Michi," Elise shook her head and then returned Michi's smile with a confident one of her own, "You delivered every line well and you never missed a beat or cue." She then held the doll of the Painter's Daughter as well then remarked, "It's as if you really became the Captain's Daughter and the Painter's Daughter."

Michi chuckled from Elise's praise then proceeded to wipe the sweat from her brow with the lilac handkerchief. The crowd that had gathered on center stage started to disperse as well. The red curtains opened once more and Elise saw that most of the audience had already left the premises, shepherded out by the orderly formations of student council members that ushered them in. Elise noticed that the lively trio of Junko, Audrey and Serafina remained, however, congratulating Madoka together by the edge of the stage. Moments later, Nagisa Momoe hopped onto the stage from out of nowhere then lovingly glomped the pink-haired sophomore. Then, in the corner of her eye, she saw Hitomi and Kyousuke congratulating Sayaka Miki, the conductor that afternoon before heading out themselves.

As more and more people trickled out of the main auditorium hall, Elise heard the joyous broadcast of the _Thunder Sisters' Show_ begin once again along with its generous interludes of the latest J-Pop hits. From where the two of them stood, they could see the labyrinth of festival stalls in the courtyard where the theater crowd had flowed into. Elise watched the sights and the sounds of the festival from a distance then turned to steal a glance at her roommate standing beside her. Michi, however, was already facing her with a smile.

"Say, Elise," Michi happily started as she pocketed the lilac handkerchief, "do you want to… go see the festival with me?"

This was the first time she had seen the Hokkaido native smile that brightly and the first time she had ever been this forward, Elise thought as a gentle breeze blew into the auditorium hall and passed between them. The French girl didn't know if it was the rush from her performance just minutes ago or the sense of relief that came afterwards, but Elise felt as if she was seeing a different side of Michi than what she normally saw. Realizing this, a chuckle escaped from Elise's lips that puzzled the Hokkaido native.

"Do you even have to ask?" Elise said with sly flourish.

"Jeez!" Michi pouted and gently struck Elise's arm in quick succession, but the French girl's laughter only grew heartier. She then gave Michi a firm nod and said,

"Let's go, Michi."

Michi's pout melted away and she returned Elise's nod with enthusiasm. The two girls then returned the dolls of the Captain's Daughter and the Painters' Daughter to the spare storeroom and set them on their lofts at the top shelf of the metal racks where they watched over the other dolls side-by-side. Satisfied, Elise picked up her handbag on the way our and the two girls headed out of the auditorium together.

* * *

**Twenty-fifth Act, Second Movement - The Fanfare of the Festive Storm**

Once they cleared the auditorium doors, the freshness of the outside air filled their lungs like a gentle wave and replaced the stuffy air of the stage. Elise felt a moistness lingering in that air as sparse grey clouds mingled with the brightly-shining, late-afternoon sun that reflected off of small puddles in the school courtyard's terracotta tiles. She watched as droplets of dew likewise refracted the light of the sun as they hung off of the roofs of the stalls, the canopies of the mulberry trees and the festive banners spread around the courtyard labyrinth. Did it rain during the puppet show? Elise wondered.

As Elise was lost in thought, she felt the small, left hand of Michi wrap around her right, catching the French girl by surprise. The Hokkaido native then flashed Elise an excited smile then started to pace forward with the French girl's hand in tow. Michi seemed really into it today, Elise thought, talking about all the things she wanted to do and all of the stalls she wanted to visit. She found it cute, so Elise grasped Michi's hand as well and let the Hokkaido native guide her into the festive labyrinth.

All around them, the student stall-keepers and their cadres of classmates as assistants were attending to the fresh throng of theatergoers. Game booth keepers were busy explaining the rules and showing off their prizes, occult-stall fortune-tellers were ad-libbing farfetched stories about the future, and food stall chefs were cooking up storms on portable stoves. These students were calling out to Michi and Elise, inviting them to visit their stalls while the school's marching band gave a small exhibition piece between lulls in the _Thunder Sisters_ ' broadcast. Members of the school photography club were running around too, snapping pictures of the pair in the midst of the lively fanfare. The roving student council members and the occasional officer of the Mitakihara Police Department on the beat were sparse by comparison. Michi and Elise went through this joyful chaos with joined hands as the Hokkaido nativetook in the sights and sounds with wonder.

The two of them bought a few spots of food from the stalls - takeout boxes of seafood yakisoba with a side of takoyaki - then found themselves a quiet spot in the eye of the festive storm, a bench under the cool shade of a mulberry tree adorned with blue paper moon lanterns. As Elise carefully nibbled on a still-smoking takoyaki ball, Michi set her food on her lap and spoke.

"You know, Elise, I really love festivals." Michi confessed as she picked up the lone piece of shrimp in her yakisoba with chopsticks, "Back in Hokkaido, my sister Matsuri and I would go to every festival that came to our town - in _Oshimahana_. My sister gets really excited about these sorts of things… and so do I." She then returned the shrimp to its bed of stir-fried noodles then smiled at Elise, "I don't usually get this giddy, so thanks for indulging in my selfish request."

"Oh no, Michi. I'm quite glad that you wanted me to come with you to see the festival." Elise said with a pompous yet thankful flourish. "We worked and worked until we couldn't work any more for _Hyouka Tabemasu_ , so this is a just reward for the both of us." She then leaned to the side against Michi's shoulder and said, "And I enjoy learning more about you, after all."

"I see." Michi playfully pushed back against her roommate before they ended in a stalemate, shoulder-to-shoulder. The Hokkaido native then looked up to the broad canopy of the mulberry tree above them and the paper moons hanging from the branches and started to tell Elise more about her beloved sister and the festivals they went to in their hometown of Oshimahana. Michi then turned her back to Elise then pointed to the silver kanzashi pin that tied her hair into a neat bun.

"This is a gift that my little sister gave me for my birthday. Matsuri-chan and I have matching pairs of this." Michi then said happily as she felt the paulownia-shaped turquoise gem that adorned the pin, "She won it for me at a town festival like this one, you see. When we wear our pins and fix our hair just right, the townspeople used to say that it became impossible to tell us apart." The Hokkaido native had a light, reminiscent laugh then sighed, "I got much taller than Matsuri-chan though, so we became our own persons."

"You really love your sister, don't you?" Elise remarked as she ate her takoyaki and yakisoba with gusto. Michi simply replied with a bashful smile and the smallest of nods, then said,

"More than anything."

Elise watched the happy expression painted on the profile of her roommate and wondered just what kind of person Michi's sister, Matsuri Hideyoshi was.

As Elise was thinking of this, the afternoon sun started to set and the cloudy blue skies gave way to a cloudier orange horizon. Slowly but surely, the immaculate sky blue lights of the paper moons that hung above the mulberry tree grew distinct and brightened, drawing Michi's delighted eyes skyward once more. The paper moons then started to change colors, gaining streaks of baby pink followed by strokes of soft, pastel purple. From where they sat, it looked like a pair of shooting stars tracing pink and purple lines through a white canvass.

"Say, Michi, do you mind if…" Elise paused, as if, for the first time, she was unsure of what to say. The French girl fidgeted as she felt the weight of the leather handbag she brought on her lap.

"Hmm…?" Michi gave a breezy hum as her eyes were still drawn to the constellation of colored spirits in the paper moons that hung above.

Sitting so close to Michi, Elise could see the reflection of those constellations in the deep brown of Michi's eyes. It made Elise grow conscious of the distance between them and she looked away, embarrassed, subconsciously playing with the leather straps of her bag.

"You know, I never really knew what it was like to have a sister." Elise started bashfully, but spoke with much more earnest resolve. Her eyes fell down to a small, clear puddle of water at her feet where she saw the shifting constellations of light and said, "I'm a little envious of you, you see. Strasbourg is proud of her festivals and she has many of them - music festivals, outdoor feasts, public performances, chess tournaments, but I never had anyone to go with me." A tinge of resentment hung from Elise's voice as she added, "For that reason, they weren't anything special to me. They were merely strange processions that took place by the river. It didn't matter if I joined or if I simply watched it pass me by through my bedroom window - it was all the same."

As she was saying this, Elise felt the concerned eyes of Michi watching her closely. The French girl sighed and shook her head before turning to Michi with a reassuring smile,

"I quite enjoy this festival, though, since you're with me."

"Elise…" Michi was touched as she fondly laid a hand over her heart. She then watched Elise as she carefully unzipped her leather handbag and dug through its contents. Elise then brought out an intricate, stainless steel hair ornament still wrapped in its original plastic bag.

"This is a souvenir from the Strasbourg festivals - the second place prize at the chess tournament they held in the Spring of 2084 by the river Rhine." Elise explained as she opened the plastic bag and showed Michi the shape of the ornament, "It's shaped like the drooping branch of a Strasbourg willow tree - the ones you would see around the banks of the Rhine. My town is so fascinated by them that they say that willows represent dreams and wishes. I simply like them for the shade." She then laid out the ornament on the palm of her hand then extended it towards Michi saying, "I want you to have this."

"A-are you sure?" Michi stammered as she retracted a her hand away from Elise's a little bit, but stopped short of putting it away.

Elise gave Michi a firm nod, the French girl asked her to turn around with a twirl of her hand. The Japanese freshman was reluctant at first but her French roommate didn't shy away. Michi gathered herself, hiding the mild blush awash on her cheeks and nervously closed her eyes as she showed her back to Elise.

The French girl held the willow hair ornament firmly in hand as she eyed the simple, silver kanzashi pin that tied Michi's hair into a bun. Elise carefully affixed the ornament to the pin with the gentlest of hands. Then, when she let go, the ornament slid down a mild, metallic chime and drooped like a willow branch reaching for the majestic, river-like swirl in the bun of Michi's hair.

"Uhm...?" Michi asked sheepishly as she carefully turned around, still feeling the new weight of the ornament paired with her pin. The freshman then faced Elise with expectant eyes and asked, "D-does it look weird?"

"It looks perfect on you." Elise smiled an honest smile and gave a nod of approval. The French girl then had a rare chuckle and added, "Maybe the willow will make _your_ wish come true someday."

A gentle breeze then blew by their shaded nook beneath the mulberry tree, rustling the leaves of the canopy above and sounding the subtle chime of Michi's new hair ornament as it flew weightlessly in the wind for a brief moment. The paper moons hanging above swayed in solidarity with the willow ornament, turning from lilac to turquoise blue as a thankful smile broke out on Michi's lips.

All of the sudden, a second wind blew through from the opposite direction - a gale devoid of the kindness of the first breeze. Tarpaulins of the nearby stalls clung onto their posts and the paper moons swung violently like pendulums, forcing Michi and Elise to guard their eyes from dew and dust. When Elise lowered her arms, however, the French girl noticed something strange. For a brief moment, she noticed the silhouette of a powder blue paper charm that had taken flight in the forceful wind, followed by its distinct, charcoal grey string that had come undone. Elise turned to where the gale had blown, but the paper charm was gone without a trace.

Instead, she saw a solitary figure standing by the stalls and facing them. The figure approached them, heralded by the splash of shoes against a shallow puddle followed by the distant rumble of thunder.

* * *

**Epilogue**

" _Sleep with one eye open, Mademoiselle… you can never be too careful on the day of the festival_."

The cryptic words of the Witch Francine in the barrier of the Infinite Gallery resounded in Nagisa's mind as she walked through the festive labyrinth of the Mitakihara Junior High School's courtyard, deep in thought. The little girl walked with Mami and Kyouko at her flanks and the three of them were following the lively group of Junko, Audrey, Serafina and Madoka through the stalls, but Nagisa was still lost in her thoughts.

As Nagisa was walking she noticed a handful of puddles scattered about on the terracotta tiles and the droplets of dew hanging from the leaves of the trees and the tarpaulin roofs of the booths. It really did rain a while ago, the little girl thought. Her suspicious eyes then looked up to the afternoon sky and spotted thick clouds brewing in the horizon. What's more, the once sparse presence of the student council members patrolling the fairground labyrinth grew more visible as their numbers swelled. A handful of police officers were making their rounds this time too, combing through the crowds with the holsters of their stun batons ominously open.

"Uhm… let's see..." The usual broadcast of the Thunder Sisters then began awkwardly, followed by the shuffling of paper as Lorelei seemed to be reading a strange request on air, "Paging Michi Hideyoshi of Class 1-2 and Elise de Lamarliere of Class 3-4. The two of you are requested to go to the auditorium building. I repeat - Michi, Elise, someone's looking for the two of you in the auditorium building."

' _Michi-neechan and Elise-neechan_ …' Nagisa thought, puzzlement brewing in her already troubled mind. Who was looking for Michi and Elise, and why?

While the little girl was distracted, she bumped into the lithe figure of Noe Ogasawara - the student council president. Nagisa jolted back and squeaked in fear while Ogasawara clicked her tongue and dusted the skirt of her uniform. The usually genteel student council president had just been typing something on her WristComm and was just about to glare at the child who bumped her when she noticed the presence of Mami and Kyouko standing beside her. Madoka, her mother and her two aunties, on the other hand, had gone on ahead out of earshot.

"Ogasawara-san…" Mami spoke in an accusatory tone, crossing her arms as she quietly demanded an apology from her council president and classmate.

"Sorry about that, Tomoe-san." Ogasawara promptly apologized, melting her venom with every spot of politeness she was known to have. She then turned to Nagisa and gave a small nod, "Sorry as well, little kid."

Nagisa nodded back, but stayed entrenched behind Mami's arm.

Mami gave a nod as well and brushed the incident aside with a wave of her hand. The third year then turned to the student council president and spoke her mind,

"You seemed to be in a hurry, Ogasawara-san."

"Indeed, and I still am." Ogasawara said, choosing her words as she kept her lips tight at first. She then stole a glance at the senior and asked, "By the way… have the three of you seen Hideyoshi-san and Duramayue-san around?"

Mami just shook her head and the student council president sighed before bidding the trio farewell. Noe Ogasawara, reactivated her WristComm and, with a flurry of keystrokes, sent her message. She then rejoined her council members in their strange search.

…

A hollow chime resounded in the spare storehouse of the auditorium building as the face of Homura Akemi's WristComm device glowed in the darkness. The sophomore nonchalantly tapped her device and glanced through the message before heaving a dissatisfied sigh.

She then raised her eyes up to the metallic sports racks where the twelve puppets of Hyouka Tabemasu, done with their duties, rested. The sophomore watched the top rack where the dolls of the Captain's Daughter and the Painter's Daughter sat together and looked down upon her. Homura thoughtfully tucked a lock of her long, black hair behind her left ear as she looked up, but her hand subconsciously slowly slid down further.

Homura's fingers brushed against the purple earring that she wore. She then reached a spot at the back of her neck hidden behind the collar of her school tracksuit where she felt the contours of deep, wide scars that had yet to disappear. A displeased expression grew on Homura's face and a shadow formed over her eyes as she traced the scar with her finger. She then felt an unearthly presence lay its hands on her shoulders as her purple earring gave off an unusual shimmer.

_Where could they have disappeared off to?_ Homura mused to no one in particular, as she lowered her head and formed a shadow over her eyes. She had been so careful not to let anyone off her sight - especially on such a sensitive date as today. You could never be so sure as to what could happen on the night of Witches. The time-traveler then gathered her resolve then tapped the face of her WristComm device again.

…

Back in the fairgrounds, Nagisa was still trailing behind Mami and Kyouko through the festival booths but the little girl was in a daze. Suspicions brewed in her mind as the rows of dark cloud ate up the dying sun and cast an imposing shadow over the fairgrounds. Moments later, the WristComm devices of both Mami and Kyouko buzzed in sync, catching Nagisa's attention.

The little girl watched the senior and the sophomore turn away from her to answer the call, speaking in hushed tones that the little girl couldn't hear. The call ended and a heavy air hung over Mami and Kyouko.

"Nagisa-chan, Mami and I need to run and check something out real quick." Kyouko then explained, managing to gather some calm words together, "Do you mind going to the auditorium for a bit? We'll meet you there again when we're done, so wait for us there will ya?"

"Eh… the auditorium? Now?" Nagisa asked in confusion. Her words couldn't reach either of them, however, as they quickly hurried out of sight. Earlier that day, Mami and Kyouko were summoned as well, Nagisa recalled.

Something was amiss, Nagisa could tell, and somebody was pulling strings because of it. In the distance, Nagisa heard the muffled sound of a Mitakihara Police helicopter flying low as it swept around the campus beneath the thick, looming clouds. The number of policemen patrolling the fairgrounds seemed to have doubled as well, Nagisa thought. The student council members, the Mitakihara Police, and even her beloved Mami and Kyouko were puppets strung to the will of that puppetmaster, dancing to the script of the puppetmaster's play.

"Homura-neechan…" Nagisa guessed the name of that puppetmaster and whispered to the sky with grave concern, "What's going on?"

…

"Mami-san, give me a sitrep." Homura spoke to her WristComm as she burst through the doors of the auditorium and marched into the school courtyard. Her eyes swept through the fairground and asked again with a bead of impatience, "Well?"

"Hold on, Akemi-san. I've just taken a vantage point at the main building's bell tower. Sakura-san's bringing Kaname-san, her mother and her family friends to the auditorium too as we speak, just like you asked." Mami's voice spoke calmly through Homura's device, "As for Hideyoshi-san and De Lamarliere-san, I can see the whole campus ground from here, but there's no sign of the two."

"What do you mean there's no sign of them?" Homura demanded angrily.

"I said exactly what I meant, Akemi-san." Mami politely replied, but her voice betrayed her mounting frustrations, "The front and the back entrances are clear too - if either of them pass by there, I'd see them."

Homura gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she looked up to the Mitakihara Police Department helicopter flying low around the school campus. Moments later, the helicopter's signal lamp flashed a message in quick succession,

'Negative visual, noi.'

The shadow over Homura's eyes darkened as she watched the helicopter, done with its mission, swing around and fly away from the school campus. The darkening sky then bore down on the time-traveler and she felt the chilling hands of the presence on her shoulders again, holding her tightly in place. Homura clenched her fists and the unearthly presence embraced her from behind, whispering something into the time-traveler's ears. Her purple earring swayed violently, as if caught in a nonexistent wind. And, giving herself into the seductions of the angelic voice in her ear, Homura let out a sigh and unclenched her fists.

"Akemi-san?" Mami's voice called through the WristComm, puzzled by the unusually long pause in their conversation, "Akemi-san, is something the matter?"

"No, everything is fine." Homura then replied to Mami in a distant, cryptic tone, "Everything is as it's supposed to be. I'll make sure of it."

"What do you mean, Akemi-san?" Mami asked, terribly confused by Homura's sudden orders and her new tone, "What exactly is going on?"

"I think we'll find out soon enough." Homura replied with uncharacteristic gusto this time, with mischief painted over her usually calm and collected voice as she gave her marching orders, "Stay sharp - over and out." A vicious smirk formed on her lips as she watched a flock of black, crow-like birds take to the dark, cloudy sky as she added, "They couldn't have gone far, after all."

…

Stuck near the heart of the labyrinth, Nagisa racked her brain to make sense of the situation. Homura was playing every card she had to look for Michi and Elise, but Nagisa wanted to know why. Nagisa knew that Homura had spent the past few weeks preparing for this day. The Witch Francine came to the same conclusion earlier as well. Everything should have been going according to Homura Akemi's script - from the start of the school festival to the warm reception of _Hyouka Tabemasu_.

The only way that would have stirred Homura to act like this, Nagisa thought, would be if Michi and Elise disappeared - vanished into thin air.

As Nagisa was thinking about this, a gentle breeze blew by her followed by a vicious gale that swept the child's white hair skywards. Nagisa was forced to wince, but her sharp eyes caught a powder blue blur pass before her eyes. From that blur, she felt a faint trace of magic that sent a chill down her spine. The little girl instinctively reached for the blur and caught it by its charcoal grey thread. The wind came to pass and Nagisa came to see a small, powder blue paper charm in her hands dangling by a thread. Written on the face of the charm with clear and imposing penmanship was a single word - 'justice'.

"No way…" Nagisa mused in shock as she whirled around wildly, seeing another platoon of student council members combing through the labyrinth of booths, "Surely… this can't be…"

The little girl gritted her teeth and clenched her fist, crumpling the paper charm and dispelling its magic with a small crackle of orange light as the gravity of the situation fell upon her. Knowing the Homura well, Nagisa knew that she must have suspected this as well. Nagisa didn't have time to be messing around.

Nagisa's shadow then started to shift under the cover of the thick clouds, forming the silhouette of the massive Witch Charlotte.

'Find them, quickly!' Nagisa whispered her orders with urgency and the shadow darted forward through the rivers of shade in the fairground labyrinth, 'We have to find them before _she_ does!'.

The little girl then took a deep breath and bolted forward, following her shadow while hiding from the imposing figures of the student council members and police officers alike. Nagisa ran through the labyrinth as quickly as her feet would take her, displacing the puddles of water scattered on the courtyard's terracotta tiles. Then, lightbulbs throughout the entire labyrinth of stalls started to flicker ominously and flocks of strange black, crow-like birds started to circle over the fairgrounds in an unholy procession. Almost immediately, the fervor of the student council members and the police officers seemed to swell.

Nagisa's heart skipped a beat. The puppetmaster herself was joining the hunt.

'Charlotte, hurry!' Nagisa telepathically urged her Witch as they raced against the darkness and the pandemonium looming over the fairground. Michi and Elise were in grave danger - the two of them were in the eye of the storm. She had to find them first and take them back to the light.

A flash of lightning illuminated the darkening horizon as Nagisa reached a well hidden nook at the heart of the fairgrounds - a shaded spot beneath a great mulberry tree adorned with paper moon lanterns. Michi and Elise were there, seated together on a bench beneath the tree. The two of them weren't alone there in the nook, however. Nagisa saw the back of an imposing, imperial figure facing the two girls seated beneath the tree. It was Homura Akemi - the puppetmaster - the devil herself.

It was too late now - there was nothing that Nagisa could do. The little girl's heart sank as the delayed rumble of thunder resounded in the tense nook.

Then, it started to rain.

**To Be Continued**


	10. Mistress of the New World

**Prologue**

It was late in the afternoon at the rooftop of the Mitakihara Junior High School's auxiliary building where the solitary Sayaka Miki stood on the edge. Leaning forward against the rails, she rested the chin of her tilted head on her right hand, pensively surveying the scene of the festive labyrinth of the cultural festival below. The sophomore's calculating blue eyes watched formations of young student council members and handsful of armed Mitakihara Police officers frantically combing through the alleys, all while taking care not to disrupt the festival in the slightest. Sayaka's right hand subconsciously inched away from her chin and thoughtfully reached for a lock of the bangs of her blue hair.

"It's starting to get long, huh?" Sayaka remarked as she felt the ends of her hair, "I wonder if I should keep it."

The rusty click of the latch of the heavy metal stairwell door behind the sophomore resounded on the rooftop and Sayaka heaved a short sigh. The door then swung open and a tensely vigilant Mami Tomoe emerged from the threshold, shifting her head left to right as she scanned the rooftop space while speaking to the WristComm device that she wore. Sayaka lowered her hand and turned her head around to find Mami sweeping through the rooftop with every bit of intensity as the student council and the police below.

Homura Akemi was getting desperate, Sayaka thought as she peeled herself from the rails. After all, aside from the WristComm, Sayaka noticed that Mami was wearing her silver magi ring - nervously tapping the golden gem as if she was ready to use it in a heartbeat. Down below, the watchful Sayaka also noticed the frantic red-haired blur, Kyouko, combing the fairgrounds, escorting a confused Madoka towards the auditorium. Kyouko too seemed to be on her WristComm, relaying some sort of report. Every time that Kyouko spoke, the nervous Mami on the rooftop's frown would worsen.

"It really does work, huh?" Sayaka snickered as she glanced at the powder blue paper charm that she held in her left hand. With a satisfied look, she slipped the paper charm into the pocket of her school tracksuit and approached the golden-haired senior.

"Yo, Tomoe-senpai. Is something wrong?" Sayaka asked with a happy-go-lucky smile as she tapped Mami on the shoulder.

"Oh, Miki-san." Mami paused for a moment but soon acknowledged her with a polite nod, "I didn't notice you there."

"I tend to get looked over a lot, don't worry about it." Sayaka gave a self-depreciative laugh.

Mami didn't reciprocate, turning away from the sophomore and asked as she continued her search,

"Have you seen Hideyoshi-san and De Lamarliere-san?" Mami asked, giving a fraction of the formalities that she normally gave.

"Those two?" Sayaka paused to choose her words, then faced Mami with a practiced, casual smile, "Sorry, Mami-senpai. I wouldn't have the faintest idea."

Mami very nearly clicked her tongue with impatience, but she managed to stop herself midway. She simply gave Sayaka a polite thanks before retreating back into the threshold of the stairwell. The heavy metal stairwell door closed with a thud and Sayaka leaned back against the rails with a thoughtful sigh. Sayaka's eyes rose up to the darkening clouds and watched a flash of lightning illuminate the distant heavens, followed by the rumble of thunder. Then, there was an uneven patter of paws against the rooftop's concrete floor that drew her attention.

"Y-you seem to be enjoying yourself, Miki-san." The airy voice of an Incubator reached Sayaka's ear, coming from about a dozen paces before the sophomore. It was scheming, as always, but noticeably subdued.

"I wish that we didn't have to come to this - what with the transfer student taking over the entire universe and all - but she made the first move." Sayaka said as-a-matter-of-factly as a strong wind blew from behind her, the longer locks of her blue hair, "I still am Madoka's Exemplar - her right hand - after all, and she is the devil who opposes Madoka's law. So it's only natural that I fight back, yeah?" A sly grin then grew on her lips as she added, "But I would be lying if I said I wasn't amused by the way things have been turning out lately."

The sophomore's eyes then wandered forward and beheld the small, battered figure of the Injured Kyuubey. The most outspoken of the Incubators had gained more bruises on his frail body and was haphazardly stripped of his once pristinely white fur. His tail was bent in a precarious manner, dangling like a dead weight behind the creature's figure and his left eye was swollen shut with lids stained in fresh blood. The sight of him almost made Sayaka's jaw drop.

"What the hell happened to you?" Sayaka asked with legitimate concern. She watched the sorry, jaded figure open its mouth to speak, but the creature shivered and its eyes grew unfocused in absolute terror. Sayaka sighed, considering for a moment what the information would do to her nerves. And she interrupted the speechless Incubator,

"Actually, I'd rather not know."

The Injured Kyuubey seemed relieved, heaving a thankful sigh as it sauntered over to Sayaka's side. He wagged his skinned tail.

"Miki-san, I… I must say that I am quite impressed." The Injured Kyuubey piped as he sat by Sayaka's feet, "For us to be able to force the devil's hand like this is nothing short of impressive." His tired, red eyes then focused on the mulberry tree in the distance where he saw illuminated paper moons hung alongside dozens of powder blue paper charms, "You've sent her on a wild goose chase, and she's none the wiser - just like you said."

"Homura's been on edge ever since she brought all of us here into the universe. Or rather, Homura has been on edge ever since you bastards tried to trap her Soul Gem in that Isolation Field of yours." Sayaka spoke in a serious tone as she rested her elbows on the railings, "Because of that interference, Homura had to come up with some sort of plan in mind and she wants everything to fall neatly into place. So, when things don't go according to plan…" She then looked down on the festive labyrinth below and found Homura marching urgently through the fairgrounds, "You know how it goes."

"And what exactly is it that she is anticipating?" The Injured Kyuubey tilted his skinned head with curiosity. The blue-haired girl, however, kept her lips tightly as she watched Homura down below.

"I have gathered all the Incubators and committed them to aid you in our campaign against the devil." The creature urged, blinking as he watched Sayaka's distant look and said, "We are your allies… and you…"

"It's hard to believe you, Incubator - it really is." Sayaka shook her head as a smile of disbelief broke on her lips, "All this could have been avoided if you kept your fanciful experiments to yourself." She then leered at the Injured Kyuubey's wretched state and lashed, "If you want to blame anyone for this grand mess, blame yourselves."

"You are absolutely right." The Injured Kyuubey humbly admitted as it shakily bowed down before Sayaka. He planted his face and his limp ears on the concrete floor, "Which is why I offer you what little we can to aid you in your revenge. After all, you are our only hope - mistress Miki."

"'Mistress', huh?" Sayaka scoffed as she subconsciously reached for a lock of her blue hair, "Flattery will get you nowhere with me, Incubator." She then ran a meticulous hand through her hair with a curt flip then said, "By the looks of it, it didn't work so well with the transfer student either."

The downtrodden creature grumbled beneath his breath before he finally said, "Forgive my presumption then, mistress Miki."

"At least you know your place, Kyuubey." Sayaka leaned forward, tilting her body precariously over the rails as she felt a powerful breeze blow by, "Just do as I say and the transfer student will pay for her sins. After all, I've learned something quite interesting." A bright flash of lightning, followed by the warlike rumble of thunder, illuminated Sayaka's blue eyes as she said, "The devil can be fought - and I will not rest until I bring her to her knees."

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum: Those Fallen**

**Mistress Of The New World**

* * *

**Twenty-sixth Act, First Movement -Would You Like To See?**

Blinding lightning and deafening thunder swept through the fairgrounds, silencing the festive fanfare for a brief moment that late Saturday afternoon. Delayed gasps of awe and surprise broke the spell of forceful silence and the din of the Mitakihara Junior High School's special cultural festival returned like a wave crashing to shore. At the nook beneath the mulberry tree where Michi was sitting with Elise, the haggard figure of Homura Akemi appeared before them.

From where Michi sat, her cautious eyes regarded the often genteel and empress-like sophomore. She who had kindly welcomed her to Mitakihara was now standing before them with her head hanging curiously low. The bangs of Homura's straight, black hair fell before her brow in a dark cascade, forming a veil over her purple eyes and casting tendrils of shadows over the rest of her face. Then, Michi noticed the purple earring that Homura wore on her left ear with an odd, inexplicably menacing shimmer. Just looking at it sent chills up the Hokkaido native's spine, but she couldn't figure out why.

"Good afternoon, Akemi-san." Elise de Lamarliere finally spoke as she stood up out of courtesy, with Michi jerkily following suit. The French girl then gave her head a slight tilt as she asked, "Is there something we can help you with?"

There was no response from Homura, punctuating the lingering silence even more. The festive din seemed to come to Michi's ears muffled ever so slightly as if an unseen wall had been formed around them. And in that wall, Michi felt a sliver of malice bleeding from the sophomore standing before them - malice and a strange hesitation that she couldn't quite gauge.

Homura then raised her head at an odd angle and her lips straightened into her usual opaque expression as her straight black locks of hair swayed behind her like an empress' plumes. Michi felt the sophomore's eyes fixated on her now, calculating and sharp as always. However, Homura's purple eyes harbored that specter of uncertainty that troubled the freshman. It was as if the sophomore was gathering herself and carefully choosing her words.

Before long, Homura took a deep breath and the uncertainty dissolved from her eyes, replaced by a condescending, accusatory glare that took Michi by surprise. The intensity of Homura's stare sent a chill up Michi's spine and she found herself retreating behind Elise, hiding from that accusatory, piercing gaze.

"Michi," Homura then called in a puzzlingly detached and overbearing voice, like a parent calling a child. The sophomore faced them unflinchingly with that unreadable expression that Michi couldn't decipher. Homura tilted her head slightly then commanded, "I'd like to have a word with you, if you would be so kind. Come with me to the auditorium."

'Homura-san, I…' Michi began, but her words were dead in the water, unable to escape her trembling lips. The way that Homura spoke and the way she stood before the two of them troubled Michi. Had they done something wrong? Why was Homura so fixated on her - and only on her?

As Michi was trying to make sense of the situation, Elise stepped forward then placed herself firmly in between the freshman and the sophomore. The taller Elise loomed over Homura in a defensive stance as she hid Michi behind her, her expression unreadable..

"What's this about, Akemi-san? Why the auditorium?" Elise calmly asked as she placed a hand on her hip, as she squared off with the sophomore, "Michi and I are enjoying the festival together at the moment. The two of us have done our parts for the puppet show already." The French girl then gave a diplomatic gesture as she bargained, "Surely, this can wait, can it not?"

From behind the tall wall of Elise's shoulders, Michi watched the tense stand-off between her roommate and her host unravel before her. Neither Homura nor Elise were willing to give up an inch and the silence that resurfaced between them grew frigid.

"I'm afraid that this cannot wait, Duramayue-san. It's a matter of great importance." Homura's matter-of-factly tone was laced with stern notes as she broke the silence anew, "You can have your little rendezvous another time. It is for the good of all that Michi comes with me, so please do not be selfish." the sophomore tilted her head to the side as she added, "I will not ask nicely a third time."

"Selfish, huh?" Elise raised her voice with a tinge of amusement, folding her arms as she stepped forward and cast her own shadow over the defiant sophomore, "I am a civil person, so I would normally like to give you the benefit of the doubt, Akemi- _san_." The French girl pronounced the honorific deliberately as her voice grew stern, "But you are testing my patience as well."

"That is interesting, Duramayue- _san_." Homura responded in kind as she stood unfazed before the taller Elise, "Patience is not one of your strong points after all."

"How dare you!?" Elise growled, but caught herself before she added more fuel to her own fire. She clenched her fists as she tried to calm herself down, "You're talking like you know me, Akemi."

"Elise!" Michi suddenly snapped as she stepped forward and grabbed the French girl's fist firmly with both hands. She then cast a sharp glare at the sophomore and lashed, "You too, Homura-san! What's gotten into you both?"

"Homura," Elise heaved an incensed growl as she tried to pull out of Michi's grip, "She has been picking a fight since she came here!"

"Elise!" Michi snapped again, staring straight into Elise's ash-grey eyes this time.

When their eyes met, the burning rage that had been brewing in her heart slowly dissipated and the French girl's fists relaxed once more. Michi gave off a sigh of relief as she let go of Elise's hand then turned to Homura to chide her as well. However, the sophomore had gone silent - as if reining back her own tirades in as well. Had she calmed down? Her silence was as good a signal as any for Michi and she took this time to disengage gracefully.

"I'm sorry, Homura-san. I promised Elise that I would spend the rest of the festival with her." Michi spoke diplomatically as she gave a deep bow that sounded the chimes of her new willow-shaped hair ornament, "Thank you so much for your invitation, but we had already arranged this prior. I don't want this to form a rift between us, so please do excuse us just this once," she looked up sincerely into Homura's conflicted expression as she added, "I will make it up to you, I promise."

The sophomore eyed the new hair ornament in Michi's hair and she stood in cryptic silence like a spent candle. Lost in her thoughts, Homura offered no more resistance and hung her head low beneath the mulberry that, Michi straightened up, took Elise's hand once more and walked away from Homura and the mulberry tree nook.

When Michi and Elise had gone out of earshot, the solitary Homura Akemi steeped in her defeated silence. The sophomore's head lowered solemnly, redrawing the shadows that formed a veil over her eyes once more as a blinding flash of lightning illuminated the nook. A warlike rumble of thunder rang in Homura's ears and flushed out the already muffled sounds of the festival around her like a crashing wave.

"Are you satisfied now, my poor pumpkin?" she heard her own detached voice speak out to her and felt the unnerving touch of a cool, ethereal hand caressing her cheek. "I held back like a good girl and let you do things your way, just like you asked," the detached voice crooned.

"Stop," Homura managed to lash out halfheartedly, "This is a minor setback - I won't have you do whatever you want." She swatted the phantom hand away, but the icy feeling of the ethereal fingers lingered on her cheek.

Black feathers appeared around her mind's eye, swirling in her plain of mental solace. These past few weeks, Homura wasn't alone in the confines of her mind. The swirling feathers heralded her uninvited visitor, the _devil_ who had torn the divine powers from Madoka Kaname on Homura's behalf. Because of this, Homura got to see her dearest friend Madoka again in the flesh, innocent of everything related to magic. However, this did not come without a price.

In return for usurping the Goddess Madoka, Homura let herself be possessed by _her_ \- the demon of her own making, lurking in deepest depths of her soul.

"A minor setback, you say? How long do you plan to keep lying to yourself, my poor pumpkin?" The detached voice argued. The cold, ethereal hands then grabbed Homura's as the voice added, "Everything has been falling apart - slipping through your fingers all this time." The voice snickered wickedly as it finally asked, "Did you think you made it this far without me?"

Homura thought she caught a glimpse of her doppelganger in the flurry of black feathers. Chills ran up Homura's spine as she saw the figure standing before her clad in a black, salamander-like dress with wings of pure black spreading out from behind her. The sight of the figure terrified her - but she tried to stand her ground.

"I don't need _you_ here now. I can find out who's been playing tricks on us - and _I_ will make her pay." Homura finished, trying to convince herself as she tried to free of the ethereal hand's grip. The devil's cold hands, however, would not let her go.

"Your universe is hanging by a thread, you know?" The devil hummed as she gripped Homura's hands tighter, "The Incubators refuse to submit to your will, and that slippery raspberry is fumbling about with her half-formed memories." The devil then brought her face close to Homura's as she casually threatened, "All it takes is one false step, and this universe of yours will come tumbling down… which is why you need me."

The swirl of feathers grew tighter and tighter before Homura, coalescing into a fluid black mass. Inside stood her doppelganger, arms outstretched, doll-like face wrapped in concern. The feathers stopped swirling as they formed pitch-black wings that now wrapped around Homura and held her soothingly.

"Think about it, my dear pumpkin. I can find the culprit for you - so rest easy now. Focus your mind, body and soul in keeping our world intact. A little nap wouldn't hurt, would it?"

Homura thought of struggling, of keeping the devil at bay. But the devil's words had already taken root in her mind and she felt incredibly tired. A little nap wouldn't hurt, her own mind now whispered to her and her eyes grew unnaturally heavy. The embrace of the devil's wings was cold but soothing, taking away all her worries as a profound solace came upon her.

"Rest now, pumpkin." A muffled, feminine chuckle filled Homura's mind, "I will see this through."

Homura's fingers twitched and her hands formed into white-knuckled fists as she was suddenly overcome by a phantom pain. She gnashed her teeth and her breathing grew heavy as her stiff-fingered hands grasped at her chest where old wounds felt as if they were being torn open.

Then, the thunderstorm came to pass. Homura's clenched fists opened steadily and her purple eyes shimmered with a sliver of pinkish hue. The purple earring that she wore swayed rhythmically like a pendulum but seemed to float on its own power. Homura's poker-faced expression then faded away as the lights of the paper moons hanging from the mulberry tree started to flicker ominously. When the lights stabilized, a devilish smirk was painted on the sophomore's lips.

With impossibly quick haste, Homura tracked down Michi and Elise and caught up to them in a long, narrow alley that snaked around the fairgrounds. Only a few dozen heartbeats had passed, so Michi and Elise were caught by surprise. When Elise noticed the sophomore's approach, she promptly shielded Michi from their pursuer once more. Just as Elise was about to stare down Homura again, however, she noticed something different about the sophomore. Looking into Homura's unnaturally sharp eyes chilled her to the bone and made the taller Elise feel frighteningly small.

Michi noticed it too, peering curiously from behind Elise. The devilish smirk and the mischievous air that Homura gave off made Michi's heart tremble. Was it still Homura Akemi standing there before them? The freshman couldn't quite tell anymore.

"What do you want this time?" Elise asked, trying to sound firm. Her stern voice and her silver tongue, however, seemed to shudder before this odd 'Homura'.

"I have given it some thought, Duramayue-san." Homura spoke in a sickly sweet and patronizing tone as she sauntered through the narrow corridor towards Elise, "Since you are adamant in keeping Michi to yourself, then perhaps you might have time to lend me an ear yourself instead."

The mischievous grin on Homura's lips then grew sinister as she playfully insisted, "Come on - it will only take a minute."

Before Elise could say anything the sophomore suddenly closed the distance between them with breakneck speed. To the normal eye, it would have seemed as if she disappeared then reappeared right beside the french girl. The Elise jolted back, but Homura craftily slithered forward like a salamander and encircled her. Homura brought her mischievous lips uncomfortably close to Elise's ears as she whispered,

"I didn't get the chance to say so earlier, but yes - I do know you. I know everything about you." Homura giggled with a patronizing air as she tucked a lock of Elise's wavy red hair behind her ear, "You are Elise de Lamarliere from the heart of Strasbourg by the Rhine - a lonely girl whose paintings are her only friends."

"Don't mess with me!" Elise growled as she tried to shove Homura away from her. And Michi galvanized into action, pulling herself away from the impossible feat she had just witnessed. "What's with you Homura?!" Michi demanded, moving to tear the sophomore away from Elise. "This is very unlike you!" But the sophomore skillfully dodged her without giving up any ground. Homura's hair whipped back as she advanced, revealing the purple earring that she wore shimmering with malice.

"Oh, but I am not messing with you - I am telling you the truth." Homura snickered, ignoring Michi's pleas as she sidestepped briskly to Elise's left, " I know you well… I may even know you more than you yourself!" The grin on Homura's lips then grew wide as the purple earring swayed just inches away from Elise's eyes, "Would you like to know just what kind of person you really are?"

Elise resisted, wincing and pulling her head back as far as she could, but her ash grey eyes regarded the purple gem of Homura's earring before long. It was entrancing, frightening and awfully bright as it flashed before the trapped Elise. Her resistance was for naught, and the French girl felt herself fall into blackness before losing consciousness.

* * *

**Twenty-sixth Act, Second Movement - The Spectre of Escolta**

Moments later, Elise came to in a jolt and found herself in the confines of a strange, marble-floored room with handsome wooden panel walls laden with landscape paintings. A wrought-iron candlestick chandelier hung from the pristinely white ceiling adorned with gilded lines. The strange room reminded her of the endless gallery that she had been stumbling across in her dreams lately. The sturdy mahogany and rattan furnitures, and the finite space of the posh room however told her otherwise. There was a portafinestra window there as well that illuminated the room with the warm orange of the late afternoon sun.

Elise took a moment to gather herself and tried to get a bearing of where she was and what was happening to her. She had been whisked away into an unknown space and neither Michi nor Homura were anywhere to be found. Elise understood that for a fact, but the concern she thought she would feel came to her dulled. She had already forgotten exactly how she got there, but the strange room felt oddly familiar - as if she had seen it before.

The French girl thoughtfully paced forward towards the portafinestra window - a familiar distance that her feet seemed to know well. She peered through the window and regarded an oriental yet European-looking city whose stone, concrete and wooden buildings huddled around a pristine river. The place looked like a more rural part of Venice at first glance, but the flagpoles scattered around flew a peculiar flag: the flag of the Japanese Empire.

This was quite an elaborate dream, Elise thought as she played with a lock of her red hair. She took a step back and saw her faint reflection off the glass of the window. The yellow sweater and the black skirt of the Mitakihara Junior High School uniform that she had been wearing was replaced by a flowing, delicate yet self-assured dress of pineapple thread.

'A Maria Clara gown?' Elise quietly guessed as she started to get a bead on where she was. She had seen one of these gowns before in one of the art books she brought to Mitakihara - _Las Belles Artes Orientale, Edition 2088_. To think that she would be wearing one of those dresses herself was beyond her. She raised her hands up and let the angel-winged camisa flow down gracefully as she hummed in admiration, 'How extravagant.'

Once she was satisfied, the French girl turned around to get back to business. This was a dream after all, so she just had to find some way to get out and wake up - or so she thought. Just as Elise was planning her next move, there was a series of knocks on the double doors of the posh room. They were heavy and measured as if they were some sort of code. Then, without a second thought, Elise replied in straight English,

"I've been expecting you - come in."

Elise was surprised by herself. She knew how to speak English well, but she wouldn't have replied at all in that strange situation - let alone welcome the unknown visitor into the room. Her lips moved on their own, and the words flowed against her will.

The double doors opened and a cadre of twelve young girls of middle school age marched into the posh room in formation. All twelve of them wore simple, black shawls like a uniform over strange, unique and frilly costumes. They formed ranks and stood in attention before Elise as one of the girls came forward,

" _Ave, Carissima_."

"Zealot." Elise replied again, her lips moving on their own.

"The preparations are ready, dear Carissima." The girl spoke with a sense of pride, "We've followed your instructions to the letter." A mischievous snicker then escaped her lips as she added, "It will be like sending sheep to the slaughter - those poor Aspirants."

Deep concern started to grip at Elise heart as she listened to the girl prattle on about these 'plans' of hers. Six young girls, so-called Aspirants who were none the wiser, were being sent off to a place called 'Cavite' where an ambush would be waiting for them. Elise wanted to speak out and demand to know what was going on and why these young girls deserve it. This time around, though, Elise's mouth stayed firmly closed.

The 'Zealot' then turned to Elise and chuckled, saying,

"This is ironic, isn't it? You - the Carissima of the Edificio Gumamela, right hand of the Magni Domina - once hunted us down like dogs all over the world, and you nearly had us too. Now, you've gathered us and set us loose on your own flock! It's magnificent!"

"I am only doing what needs to be done." Elise promptly replied as she dismissively turned away from the Zealot, "If there have to be sacrifices along the way, then so be it."

"I'm glad that we've come to an understanding then, Carissima." The Zealot said as she swung around to face Elise again, "On that note, we have a bit of good news for you." She then passed a small brown envelope towards Elise and whispered, "We've found her - the girl in the blue kimono."

The Zealot's words, 'the girl in the blue kimono', roused slivers of memories in the back of Elise's mind. Even the 'Elise' she couldn't control seemed anxious as she took the envelope and rifled through its contents, scanning through telegraph transcripts written in coded Tagalog and letter correspondences written in various languages. Somehow, Elise managed to understand every single one of them. All of them told the same thing - 'operations' getting disrupted by a lone girl wearing a blue kimono who wielded a naginata. Then, the searching Elise came across a blurred, sepia photograph of the suspect. It was the spitting image of the freshman from Hokkaido - Michi Hideyoshi.

"After all these years…" Elise remarked again, her mouth moving with a will of its own, "you suddenly appear like this."

"She seems to have caught wind of our upcoming Cavite operation." The Zealot then explained, summoning cards out of thin air that she shuffled skillfully back and forth between her hands, "She'll be there to try and save the Aspirants," then with a flick of her hand, the cards all coalesced into a deceptively sharp blade as the Zealot gleefully snickered, "but we will be ready for her as well."

Elise whirled around and faced the Zealot with a stern expression as she demanded, "Bring her to me."

"And if she resists?" The Zealot wore a knowing smirk as dissolved her sword of cards and looked Elise straight in the eye.

Elise took a deep breath then said with finality, "Then bring me her head."

Elise's own words struck her heart like daggers as the Zealot gleefully accepted her new orders. She then felt a pair of hands laid squarely on her shoulders that pulled her away from her body. In a few frightened heartbeats, she saw her own back and her head of red hair in front of her as if she was looking at a reverse mirror. She then regarded her own hands which felt ethereal and weightless now. Then, the sly voice of Homura Akemi whispered straight into her ear,

"That is who you are, Duramayue-san - a pompous, sadistic, sociopathic murderer whose orders have killed dozens if not hundreds of young girls." Homura then snickered as she added, "You were dead set on killing Michi too."

Elise jolted away in surprise and the scene of the posh room around her started to melt away. The warm afternoon sunlight was replaced by a chilly, pitch-black void. She still felt weightless in that realm, even more so as the marble floor beneath her feet crumbled away into darkness. Then, the solitary figure of Homura Akemi appeared before her with a lacy black shawl that she held in both hands. She approached the stunned Elise with a snicker and promptly wrapped the shawl over her ethereal shoulders. The shawl fit Elise perfectly, and her weight seemed to return to her as she floated gently down to black ground.

The French girl clenched her fists and faced Homura before her and growled,

"I don't know what the hell you've done to me, or how you crafted up such a tall, elaborate tale like this, but there's no way that I would have people killed - let alone Michi!"

"I had a feeling you would say something like that." Homura hummed with intrigue, smiling wickedly as she placed her hands together and tilted her head to the side, "Which is why I prepared this for you."

At this signal, a concave of more than a thousand formless screens appeared before Elise, turning on one after another in that strange void. Every single one of them played clips of young girls in distinct and colorful costumes crying and wailing in despair as those girls in black shawls rounding them up like animals without mercy. It was systematic brutality - an orderly chaos wherein none of the poor victims were given a quick death. Every single one of them suffering from fatal wounds before being left out to die. Most of the girls did, writhing in one moment before falling eternally still. Majority, however, suffered a fate that Elise could not comprehend. For lack of a better word, those who didn't die from their wounds turned into terrifying, unsightly monsters.

Elise's gut sank as she watched this macabre display and she felt her strength leave her legs as she knelt ungracefully on the ground. It wasn't the gore or the viciousness of the black-shawled girls, nor the unholy beasts that emerged from the unluckiest of the victims that frightened her. What twisted the knife in Elise's heart was the fact that she knew the victims - every single one of them.

"Regina… Fatima… Yolanda…" Elise recited the names of the girls in a terrified trance as her abhorred eyes shot from one screen to the next. Her head started to spin as she recalled those young girls happily huddling around with looks of admiration and words of praise, "Mariana… Nina…" She then remembered writing those very names on a piece of parchment - their death sentence - that she rolled up and handed to the Zealot she saw in the posh room. Elise winced in pain and covered her eyes as she muttered the name of one last victim, "Poor, poor Esperanza Salita…"

The French girl gritted her teeth in remorse as anger and disgust at herself built up in her heart like a flame. Bitter tears slithered past the hands that covered her eyes and rolled down her freckled cheeks. There was something else - something more than this vicious display of violence displayed around her. There must have been a reason why she damned those poor girls to such horrible fates, but nothing would come to mind. The only thing she could remember were the strains of admiration that those girls had for her, followed by the chilling screams and wails of their dying moments - one after the other.

The black shawl wrapped around her neck grew heavy with the guilt assailing her heart, pinning her slowly and painfully prostrate on the ground. All the while, Homura watched the scene with devilish delight.

"S-stop this…" Elise started weakly as tears still rolled down her freckled cheeks, "Stop this already, Akemi!"

"Hmm…" Homura hummed with intrigue, relishing the moment before she obliged with a chuckle, "As you wish, my little lamb."

The precise whir of clockwork then filled Elise's ears as the black void started to dissipate. Then, there was a flash of blinding white light.

* * *

**Twenty-sixth Act, Third Movement - Catching Rain With Your Hands**

"H-Homura-san? Elise?" Michi stammered as she watched the strange scene of a collapsing Elise in the arms of an extremely strange Homura unfolding before her in the narrow alley of the fair grounds, "Hey! What happened to you two?"

Just inches away from Michi, she watched Homura standing uncomfortably close to Elise and whispering softly into the French girl's ear. Michi couldn't hear any of it, but Elise was just standing there in a stunned trance, listening to everything that Homura had to say. From where Michi stood, Homura was stalking around Elise like a salamander who had trapped its prey.

Then, the whir of clockwork reached Michi's ears and Elise suddenly let out a sudden gasp. The French girl jerked backward, breathing heavily as if she had woken up from a bad dream. Then, Elise's steeled stance withered away as her legs wobbled weakly. She fell to her knees, but her head was raised upwards with her eyes fixated on the shimmering purple of Homura's earring.

"I'm glad we've come to an understanding, Duramayue-san." Homura ran a hand through her hair and the straight black locks cascaded majestically once more, covering the earring now. She peeled herself away from Elise's side and wore a victorious smirk as she watched her crestfallen foe with relish. Then, her eyes snapped over to Michi and she extended a hand to her, "Shall we get going now, Michi-san?"

"Hey! You haven't answered me yet!" Michi refused, yelling as she pulled away from Homura as her eyes fluttered from the sophomore, "Homura-san, what in the world is going on!?"

Michi raised her voice, hoping that someone would hear them, but the festival-goers carried on with their adventures around them. Her voice didn't seem to reach anyone - not a single soul. This situation felt awfully familiar to her, but she had no time to reminisce. She clenched her fists, turned to Homura and demanded,

"What have you done to Elise!?"

"My, what a curious lamb." Homura tilted her head and grinned with scheming relish, "If you really want to know, why don't you ask her yourself?"

Michi gathered herself and cautiously hurried over to Elise's side while keeping Homura in the corner of her eye. She knelt down before her downed roommate hoping to help her up, but Michi was shocked by what she saw. The French girl who was always so well-put together was kneeling awkwardly there with and with her mouth slightly open in aghast. She looked like one of those shell-shocked soldiers of the two World Wars in the photographs of their history textbooks, her ash grey eyes stuck in an ominous thousand-yard stare.

Elise was slow to react, turning to Michi sluggishly and taking a moment to recognize that someone was there in front of her. Concerned, Michi laid her hands over the French girl's shoulders and tried to shake her back to consciousness.

"Hey, Elise - snap out of it!" Michi begged as she put her face just inches before Elise's, "It's me, Michi."

"Mi… chi?" Elise started dazedly, squinting as she made an effort to focus on the person in front of her. The rattle of the Japanese girl's new willow ornament suddenly rang as clear as a bell in Elise's ears. Then, Elise's ash-grey irises dilated and trembled as she burst in frightened French, "Michi!? _Non_! _Fous-moi la pax_!"

Suddenly, Elise tried to brush away Michi's hands, but the Hokkaido native clung on. Desperation boiled in Elise's heart as she shrieked that same phrase ' _fous-moi la pax!'_ , begging Michi to leave her alone. Michi's rudimentary French told her what Elise's words meant, but she simply couldn't understand why she was saying this all of the sudden. To her, Elise looked as if she was seeing a ghost.

Lost in her concerned thoughts, Michi's grip loosened and Elise managed to push her roommate off of her with a strong shove. Elise quickly scrambled backwards and leaned against the walls of a festival booth stall. She then hung her head low and covered her face with her dusty hands as she wept bitterly,. Michi was at a loss for words, her two hands still hanging in the air where Elise's shoulders once were. The French girl's cries continued albeit weakly, ' _fous-moi la pax'_ over and over and over again, sinking Michi's heart.

"Satisfied?" Homura asked in a patronizing voice as she sauntered over to Michi's side. She then grabbed one of the freshman's outstretched arms and and told her, "You're coming with me, Michi."

Robbed of her strength and her earlier determination, Michi was powerless to resist. In a defeated daze, she walked with uneven steps as she let Homura lead her away from Elise and the somber alley. Michi was completely and utterly lost as the lights and sounds of the festive labyrinth around her passed her by like a blur. The sounds were no longer muffled and people finally started to turn her way, watching as Homura dragged her along like a dead weight, but none of it registered in Michi's troubled mind.

Suddenly, halfway towards the school auditorium, Homura made a turn towards the doors of the nearby auxiliary building instead. The change in direction was strange for Michi and she could feel the pace of the sophomore dragging her along grow faster as if she was trying to avoid the gaze of the public. There was a different air about Homura now - her haughty stance and movements replaced by the haggard urgency that she had when she first appeared in the mulberry tree nook.

Thunder rumbled ominously above the fairgrounds and, moments later, a drizzle started to fall from the dark, thick clouds in the heavens. The downpour strengthened and Michi covered her eyes with her free hand as they made their way over to the auxiliary building's doors. Then, she noticed Homura cast a sidelong glance towards her. There was a grim shadow that hung over the sophomore's eyes, and drops of water streaking down her cheeks.

"Michi-san," Homura started solemnly as she turned away from Michi's eyes, "I'm… sorry."

* * *

**First Interlude**

Back in the somber alleyway at the heart of the fairgrounds, the crestfallen Elise de Lamarliere sulked alone in the darkness. The French girl covered her face with her hands in shame as the pitter-patter of rain around her seemed to grow stronger. The sound of the rain and the greyness of the heavens roused the fragmented scenes that Elise was forced to see just minutes ago. The downpour washed away the tears that she had shed and the dirt off of her legs, but the bitter anguish remained firmly in her heart. Old wounds that she didn't know she had were opening inside her and it was terribly painful. She then recalled that it rained like that too on the day she sent those six girls - the Aspirants - out to their deaths.

"Regina… Fatima… Yolanda…" Elise recited the names of her victims again as she tried to grasp those painful memories once more, "Mariana… Nina… Esperanza…" She then winced in pain as she buried her face deeper in her hands as she whispered in disbelief, "and the girl in the blue kimono - Michi Hideyoshi."

The sound of footsteps - sneakers splashing in the puddles that formed on the terracotta tile floor - soon joined the pitter-patter of rain. Elise, still absorbed in her painful thoughts, didn't notice it. It was only when she felt that the rain had stopped falling on her already drenched and disheveled crown of red hair that she bothered to look up. She then saw a small, powder blue umbrella that was opened for her - and the one holding the umbrella for her was the blue-haired sophomore, Sayaka Miki.

"Yo, Duramayue-senpai." Sayaka greeted in her usual happy-go-lucky tone, but she was considerate enough to say nothing more. The sophomore then knelt down and offered the umbrella's handle to Elise.

"Are you sure about this, Miki-san?" Elise asked, hesitant to take up on her offer.

"Don't worry about it, Duramayue-senpai." Sayaka reassured with a sympathetic smile, "I have another umbrella too, right here."

Sayaka then showed off a large, pure-white umbrella that she held in her free hand. It was strange to see the sophomore having two umbrellas with her - especially since the weather forecasts this morning said there would be no rain - but Elise didn't complain any more.

"Thank you." Elise finally obliged and accepted the umbrella. Sayaka then offered a hand and helped Elise off of the ground.

As Elise was trying to brush dust and mud off of her legs and her drenched skirt, Sayaka turned away from the senior and opened her large, white umbrella with a quick motion as she spoke.

"Say Duramayue-senpai… do you mind if I ask you something?" The sophomore then tilted her head back and cast a sidelong glance toward Elise and asked, "The transfer student… i mean, Akemi-san… she did something to you, didn't she?"

"How did you…?" Elise blurted out in surprise, but she kept herself from saying any more.

"I had a feeling that she did something, you see." Sayaka explained as she turned away from Elise again, speaking somberly as she looked up to the weeping grey heavens, "I kind of was in the same situation as you after all - on the first day of school."

'The first day of school?' Elise thought. Looking back, she did recall Sayaka being rather off during the welcoming ceremony. She remembered seeing the sophomore lost in her thoughts, dejected about something that she kept to herself. Then when Elise tried to greet her, even though they had met cordially the night before the ceremony, Sayaka curtly brushed Elise aside.

"You and I are both victims, senpai." Sayaka heaved a heavy sigh then turned to Elise with a deflated smile, "So we have to look out for each other in times like this, no?"

Elise quietly nodded her head in agreement as she listened to the rain grow ever stronger around her. After a moment of silence, she asked,

"What exactly did Akemi-san do to us?"

"Well… that's a long story, senpai." Sayaka said with a reminiscent hum as she watched flocks of drenched, black birds perched on the trees and on the tents, "So why don't we talk somewhere where the walls don't have eyes." She tilted her head backwards towards Elise then asked, "Shall we meet after the festival?"

* * *

**Twenty-Seventh Act - Do You Know Who You Are?**

Heavy, stifling silence reigned over Michi and Homura as the sophomore pulled the freshman along through the glass-walled halls of the school's auxiliary building. Neither of the two girls said a word to each other after Homura's cryptic apology as the sophomore made an effort to hide her face from her captive. Instead, Homura spoke to the formless screen projected by the WristComm device on her left wrist as she pulled Michi along with her right hand. The willow hair ornament that she wore chimed lightly as they walked, ringing like meditation bells of monks in procession.

"Mami-san," Homura started as she brought Michi to the cylindrical stairwell of the auxiliary building, clearing her throat as she readjusted her tone, "Were you and Kyouko-san able to bring Madoka and the others to the auditorium?"

"Almost everyone, Akemi-san." Mami replied through the speakers of Homura's device, "Kaname-san is here… and we were able to find De Lamarliere-san too." The golden-haired senior then hummed, "But there's still no sign of Hideyoshi-san."

"Don't worry about that - I've got her." Homura then reassured as she gave Michi's wrist a tight squeeze, "I won't lose track of her again, so proceed as planned."

"Understood." Mami acknowledged and ended the call.

"Tomoe-senpai and Kyouko-senpai…" Michi spoke out loud as they started to climb up the spiral staircase, "They know about this too?"

"To a degree, yes." Homura replied without turning to Michi, "You could say that the two of them are my closest allies in this school."

'Allies' was a strange choice of words for Homura, thought Michi as the silence between them quickly returned. Their footsteps echoed clearly in their ears there in the cylindrical stairwell, playing a wordless procession punctuated by the occasional chime of Michi's ornament that rose up to the third floor landing. All the while, rain battered against the tempered glass walls of the auxiliary building as the bleak, charcoal grey heavens continued to weep.

The two girls soon reached the third floor landing - a spot near the elevated connector bridge that linked the main and the auxiliary building. Michi stole a glance at the connector bridge but quickly turned away, averting her eyes as if there was something that she shouldn't see lying there. Homura gave Michi a sidelong glance as the freshman's hand quietly fidgeted when they passed by the connector bridge, then she turned away again.

Homura soon brought Michi to the west wing of the auxiliary building, where the heavy, handsome mahogany double doors of the principal's office - the only hardwood doors in the entire campus - greeted them. Also, the school principal herself stood at the door and looked as if she was waiting for her and Homura to arrive.

The school principal was an old yet friendly lady in her late eighties and stood there at the door with as straight a posture as her aged back would allow. There was a kindly smile on the principal's lips as she opened the doors of her office, welcoming them with a servantile bow. Homura barely acknowledged the gesture with the smallest of nods then brought Michi into the principal's office. Before Michi could say anything, however, the principal promptly closed the door for them, leaving her alone in the office with Homura.

The sophomore then let go of Michi's wrist, letting the freshman relax her tense arm for the first time in what felt like a long while. Now free of Homura's grasp, her eyes wandered around the principal's office with cautious curiosity. This was the first time that she had ever been to this office, she thought, as she looked around her. The white plaster walls of the room formed a rough oval shape that converged at the door in one end and a rain-swept pair of portafinestra windows overlooking the fairgrounds at the other.

Furniture of rich mahogany decorated the gilded oval room, with tall bookshelves filled to the brim with history books and encyclopedias that rivalled the school library's own collection and a pair of twin padded-leather armchairs huddled around a large, imposing desk and its arched-back executive chair. Paintings of naval battles of the Russo-Japanese war hung from the walls and a peculiar bust of Sir Winston Churchill at on the edge of the mahogany desk.

To Michi, the room felt less like a principal's office in an ultra-modern Japanese middle school and more like a mid 20th century private study in a European chateau. Why was there such a lavish room at the third floor of the auxiliary building… and why did the principal herself surrender that room to Homura at the drop of a hat? Michi could only wonder.

"Have a seat, Michi." Homura then offered as she gestured to the two armchairs before the without a choice, Michi took the seat to Homura's right and faced the sophomore at the opposite side of the desk. Once the freshman was seated, the sophomore then asked, "Would you fancy a drink?"

"A drink?" Michi asked, whirling her head towards Homura with surprise, "What kind of drink?"

The sophomore sauntered by a windowed mahogany cabinet well stocked with all sorts of wines and spirits. She opened the cabinet and spoke as she browsed,

"They have bourbon here, an icebox and a whole lot of other ingredients." The sophomore then tilted her head as she cast a sidelong glance towards Michi and said, "It's got everything you need for a good, stiff _Old Fashioned_."

"Why are you offering me a drink?" Michi asked with a spell of shock now, "Drinking on school grounds is a punishable offense - not to mention that the two of us are minors."

"Drinks like these help some people speak their mind more freely." Homura said as she started to make herself an _Old Fashioned_ whiskey sour, mixing the ingredients in with swift, practiced movements, "It dulls the pain of old wounds too… and besides." The sophomore then took a sip of her drink and said, "After everything the two of us have been through, we're hardly 'minors' anymore, Michi-san."

"What are you talking about?" Michi tried to argue, but the sophomore didn't seem to be listening.

"Ah, I know what _you_ would like." Homura said as she pulled out a peculiar bottle of wine and a wine glass, "1917 Bordeaux - the last of its kind."

"I refuse, Homura-san." Michi stiffly declined then shook her head with utter disbelief, "You may fancy breaking rules, but I do not."

"Very well then. A nice hot cup of traditional matcha might be more to your liking." Homura conceded, as she suddenly appeared by Michi's side of the desk and set down a ceramic cup and saucer for the Hokkaido native. She then produced a pot of hot green tea and started to pour into the cup as she spoke, "This is your favorite after all, is it not?"

Homura filled the cup precisely to the brim then set aside the pot on a cork coaster beside Churchill's bust. She returned to the desk with her _Old Fashioned_ glass in tow and sat at the executive chair across from Michi. The Hokkaido native cautiously regarded the cup of piping hot tea before her and the fancy cocktail in Homura's hand. She didn't remember telling Homura that she loved matcha green tea and she was surprised by how skillfully Homura whipped up her cocktail. More than that, she wondered just when Homura boiled the pot of tea.

When Michi turned to Homura, the sophomore then raised her glass to Michi. The freshman, however, refused to return the gesture.

"Homura-san, if I may speak frankly…" Michi said with an accusatory expression as she kept her hands on her lap, "I am not pleased with you and what you did out there just now." The freshman then looked at her smoky reflection in the tea, "Offering me green tea like this will not change my mind so easily."

The sophomore didn't reply, leisurely sipping her strong whiskey cocktail instead without batting an eye or the slightest hint of discomfort. Frustrated, Michi clenched her hands into fists and slammed them onto the table, rattling the bust of Winston Churchill and her cup of tea. The freshman then angrily demanded,

"Answer me, Homura-san! Why did you ruin my afternoon with Elise? Why were you so hell-bent on bringing me here?" Michi shook her head in disbelief as she recalled the encounter clearly in her mind, "You weren't acting like yourself. What did you do to her?"

"Drink." Homura then insisted in a soft voice as she gestured to the cup of tea before Michi, "This is my apology as well as my invitation to converse with calm hearts and minds." The sophomore cleared her throat then turned to Michi with an earnest gaze, "So please do not raise your voice and please, humor me with a drink, Michi-san."

Michi took a deep breath and considered Homura's words as she glanced at her reflection in her cup of tea once more. She took the cup and took a modest sip of the tea. All the while, Homura curiously watched her with intent. Then, the sophore too sighed with relief, leaving the freshman even more puzzled than before.

"Curious." Homura then said as she set down her glass and looked Michi straight in the eyes, "Your eyes are as clear as day - I shouldn't have been so worried."

"Eh? What does that have to do with anything?" Michi set down her cup as well and turned her eyes away from Homura's with embarrassment.

The sophomore paused for a moment and chose her words well before she replied.

"What I mean is… you have good eyes that can see through the mundane." Homura explained as she picked up her glass and took a large swig, "You're the only other one who has noticed the strange curiosities that have been happening around you thus far." The sophomore then waved her hand over her cocktail glass and its contents mysteriously refilled before Michi's eyes. Homura snickered with amusement as she said, "You've caught a glimpse of the magical world."

"Magic? That's absurd..." Michi tried to argue, but she struggled to convince even herself. She shook her head then turned to Homura, "Hey - I drank your tea like you asked me to. Now tell me what in the world is going on."

"It's exactly what you think it is, Michi-san." Homura said as she produced a plain, silver ring that floated above her hand, "The magical world exists and I am a part of it." She then caught the ring midair and pointed the turquoise blue gem that adorned it towards Michi, "Once upon a time, you were a part of it too."

Michi's eyes were drawn to the turquoise gem and was promptly struck by waves of nostalgia. Her heart throbbed and her mind ached, but she could not fathom why a mere ring was rousing all this in her. The more she looked at the gem, the stronger the pangs grew, but she steeled herself and refused to turn away.

"You can feel it now, can't you?" Homura asked as she watched the pained freshman's stubborn expression, "Hope and despair, prayers and curses… suffering and death - the truth you seek is paved with stones like these. It is not a happy truth, and it will shatter the peaceful, daily life that you enjoy here in Mitakihara."

The sophomore then set the silver ring on the table with an emphatic chime that resounded in the oval room and then said,

"This ring is proof that you, Michi Hideyoshi, was once a part of the magical world - that you were once a _Puella Magi_." The sophomore thoughtfully tapped on the edges of the ring as she spoke, "Take this ring and the painful truth and I will let the painful truth that you seek return to you - as will the power that you once wielded. In exchange..." Homura then turned to Michi and firmly challenged, "I demand your absolute, unquestioning loyalty."

"What if I refuse?" Michi asked cautiously, locking eyes with the sophomore as she kept her hands flat on the mahogany desk, "What happens then?"

"If you refuse, then you will wake up safely in your room in the _Hanasou_ dorm tomorrow morning without any recollection of this meeting, or our encounter on the fairgrounds." The sophomore closed her eyes and listened to the pitter-patter of rain that struck the portafinestra windows and added, "You would believe that you had slept throughout the storm and return to the mundane world, playing house with Duramayue-san and the others."

"What about Elise?" Michi asked further, demanding a sincere answer.

"I will give her a similar solace." Homura replied plainly, opening her eyes solemnly "If you so choose, the both of you will be none the wiser."

Michi leaned back into her armchair furrowed her brow as she considered her choices. When Michi turned to Homura and looked into her eyes, she saw an unfamiliar sincerity about her. The Homura that she was speaking to there in the oval office was not the haughty, socialite empress of the school nor the malicious provocateur who confronted her and Elise in the fairgrounds. This was the real Homura Akemi showing herself from behind the veil - a shy yet iron-willed girl who bore no ill will. This was the real Homura Akemi asking her for help.

The freshman heaved a sigh then took the hot cup of tea laid before her with both hands and drank again, catching the sophomore by surprise. Michi then turned to Homura again and said,

"Living awake in a painful truth is better than dreaming a peaceful lie." The freshman set aside her tea then reached for the silver ring as she said, "If this is the price of truth, then so be it."

Homura raised her head with intrigue as she watched Michi take the ring and wear it on her left middle finger. Turquoise blue light formed around the freshman and illuminated her figure, from the well-kept locks of her straight black hair to the kanzashi pin and the willow ornament that held it into a neat bun to the expression of sheer determination that painted Michi's face.

"After all this time…" Homura mused with awe as the turquoise light faded away, "you haven't changed one bit, haven't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Michi asked with a curious tilt of her head.

"Don't mind me." Homura shook her head with a satisfied smile, "Now then - we have a long night ahead of us. Shall we get started, Michi-san?"

* * *

**Epilogue**

Evening fell upon the Mitakihara Junior High School and the short spell of torrential rain was finally starting to die down. Elise de Lamarliere, now wearing a fresh change of casual yet fashionable clothes, was walking briskly along the reinforced glass walls of the school campus, a good distance away from the heart of the fairgrounds. The French girl was holding the powder blue umbrella that she had been lent over her head, keeping her head low as she avoided the eyes of the odd person hanging around the yard. Surprisingly, those people hardly even noticed her or her powder blue umbrella.

Before long, Elise reached the front gates of the school. There, clad in a dark purple raincoat, the student council president Noe Ogasawara was standing guard. The council president's sharp eyes scanned the fairgrounds from where she stood with an impatient air about her, folding her arms and tapping her WristComm device as if she was waiting for someone to call her. Elise lowered her umbrella and approached the gates, taking light, measured steps around the council president.

The rain then finally stopped and Elise made a false step, splashing on a small but deep puddle that had formed at the gates. Ogasawara suddenly whirled around and swept her watchful eyes around the gate area. There was no one there.

A few meters away, Elise was hiding beneath the shade of a green cherry blossom tree as she retracted her umbrella quietly. She pressed her back against the cherry blossom's trunk and kept an eye on Ogasawara at the gates. The student council president scratched her head then turned around once more.

"Impressive." The voice of Sayaka Miki as she approached Elise from the opposite direction, "I knew you were quick on your feet, Duramayue-senpai, but you pulled the wool over Ogasawara's eyes without even breaking a sweat."

"I've done my fair share of snooping around in the past, Miki-san." Elise played down the compliment as she shook water off of the powder blue umbrella. The French girl then handed the umbrella back to Sayaka and asked, "So what happens now?"

"There's a really good ramen stall in Kasamino past the Mitakihara River.." Sayaka explained as she looked up to the clearing evening sky, "Why don't we pay that place a visit? You haven't had dinner yet after all, haven't you?"

**To Be Continued**


	11. We're The Only Ones Left

**Prologue**

In the confines of the spare storeroom of the Mitakihara Junior High School auditorium, Madoka Kaname and Nagisa Momoe heard the muffled din of the Cultural Festival mixed with the dying pitter patter of rain. Madoka was seated leisurely on the sofa that the _Hanasou Girls_ had brought into the storeroom and effectively turned it into their 'secret base'. From her perch on the sofa, the pink-haired sophomore was facing the twelve dolls seated on the racks. A calm smile formed on her lips as she quietly admired the twelve dolls and the coziness that they and the _Hanasou Girls'_ decorations brought into the otherwise bland storeroom.

Nagisa, on the other hand, stayed in a darker corner of the room by the windows and watched the raindrops snaking down the glass. The little girl's mind was swimming in turbulent thoughts, still quietly struggling with what she had seen.

More than an hour ago, Kyouko Sakura rounded her and Madoka up in a hurry and brought them to that room, asking them to stay put for the time being. Kyouko said that she wanted the two of them to take shelter from the rain, but that was all that the red-haired sophomore was willing to tell them. Nagisa, however, knew that the rain was the least of Kyouko's concerns that late afternoon. They were being sheltered from something much more sinister - a sudden storm that formed in the fairgrounds.

In that storm, Nagisa caught a glimpse of the true face of the devil herself.

Out of earshot from Madoka, Nagisa quietly crept through the darkened corners of the room until she reached the nook where the unfinished oil painting of Elise de Lamarliere lay leaning against the wall. Nagisa cautiously turned back to Madoka and saw that the sophomore yawning as the pitter patter of rain started to lull her to sleep. This was Nagisa's chance. She quickly turned towards the painting and whispered.

"Francine?"

There was no response.

"Hey, Francine?" Nagisa repeated again, urgency brewing in her tone. Again, there was only silence and the tiny trumpeter's heart sank. She recalled the cruel harassment that she saw Elise go through in the fairgrounds and feared the worst for the French girl's Witch.

Moments later, a voice spoke telepathically to her in a lively tone,

" _Bonsoir!"_

Nagisa jumped back and nearly had a heart attack. The little girl's face was nearly drained of color and her shadow twisted around angrily, hissing at the painting. Nagisa's shadow took the form of the Witch Charlotte's silhouette, crying curses in Germanic runes that shot from its mouth. All the while, the haughty voice of the Witch Francine spoke directly into Nagisa's mind was laughing heartily as it asked,

" _Porquoi_? Did you miss me already, mademoiselle?"

Nagisa grumbled and glared at the painting herself, nearly matching Charlotte's shadow. However, she relaxed her fists then heaved a sigh and asked,

"Are you alright, Francine?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." The Witch Francine spoke from the painting as she emerged, her abstract figure waving to Nagisa from the painting, "Fortunately for me, I wasn't there with the poor Carissima when mademoiselle Akemi had her way with her… but I did feel the Carissima's pain." The Witch's tone seemed to mellow a little as it continued, "It's not like I'm completely separate from Elise de Lamarliere, after all."

"I couldn't do anything…" Nagisa hung her head low as she laid both of her hands on the frame of the painting for support, "I saw what was going on in the fairgrounds… but all I could do was stay there and watch…"

"What could you have done in that situation, _mademoiselle?_ " The Witch Francine then challenged, "Or rather, what would you have done if you had the power to do so? Who would you have pointed your trumpet at?"

"I… don't know…" Nagisa frowned as she set her forehead against the painting, "I don't know, and that's why I'm frustrated."

"There are still way too many things that we do not understand, _mademoiselle_. Without a doubt, there is a new game being played here." The Witch Francine deduced as Nagisa finally gathered herself. The Witch's voice then grew grim as it thought out loud, "We don't know who is playing and what they're playing for."

"I don't like to say it, but I think you're right." Nagisa conceded as she turned away from the painting and faced the windows, "We can't jump to conclusions this early, but we can't stay still either, can we?"

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**We're The Only Ones Left**

* * *

**Twenty-eighth Act - Let's See How Far This Road Goes**

A sparse crowd of people stood patiently in the rain-swept, glass-walled platform at the Mitakihara Central Train Station. Commuter trains rolled into the platform like clockwork, picking up passengers until there was no one left but Sayaka Miki and Elise de Lamarliere. The two girls stood a pace behind the purple line on the ground with hardly a word between them. Elise stole a glance at her blue-haired companion who seemed to be concentrating on something.

"So, tell me again, which train are we waiting for?" Elise probed, feigning innocence effortlessly.

"The South Kanagawa Line - specifically, the Greater Mitakihara-Kasamino Loop." Sayaka replied, feigning attentiveness just as skillfully, "It's an prefecture-wide line, so those trains come about less often than the local ones." The sophomore pointed to a digital transit map behind them and said, "We're in Mitakihara's Eighth District now and we're going to Kasamino's Third. It's not that far, considering where you came from, senpai, but we'll be going on a little trip."

As Sayaka spoke, a South Kanagawa Line train pulled into the platform. The blue-haired girl patted Elise on the back and the two of them boarded the prefectural train. They found seats at the very back of the last car and sat together as the train started to move.

"Duramayue-senpai, I'm sure you've calmed down now from what happened to you earlier." Sayaka spoke as she laid her hands on her lap, "Have you managed to piece your memories together too?"

"Partly." Elise said, rubbing her temple thoughtfully as she leaned back into her seat, "The big picture is still hazy, but I am certain of a few things." The French girl reached into the pocket of her jacket and fished out an Air France ticket stub and said, "I was a Puella Magi whose memories were erased and I was brought here to Mitakihara City against my will."

Elise folded the ticket stub deftly with one hand then crushed it as she clenched an angry fist as she lamented,

"I was also once the servant of a higher power whose presence has vanished from this world."

"That makes two of us, Duramayue-senpai, so allow me to fill the gaps." Sayaka offered as she folded her arms, "The two of us were Archangels of the Silver Garden and we served to realize the will of our Goddess Madoka Kaname."

"Kaname-san, huh?" Elise hummed reminiscently as she tried to paint Madoka's face onto the blurred ones in her memories.

"Yes, Madoka was our Goddess." Sayaka nodded fondly as she turned to Elise, "She may not look like it, but that girl has a lot of spirit and an iron will that shines in the darkest of times." She heaved a sigh, then recounted bitterly, "Then she was whisked away from us by Homura Akemi, and we Archangels were cast down from heaven."

"That makes us all fallen angels, masquerading as normal human beings." Elise muttered distantly and looked up to the clearing heavens as the evening deepened. She felt her right, middle finger and stroked the spot where her absent Soul Gem ring once was, "Our powers have been taken from us too."

"Not exactly." Sayaka then said as she combed back her blue hair with her right hand, revealing a small, silver ring with a powder blue gem on her middle finger, "Rather than being taken away, our powers were put to sleep. Likewise, we stopped being able to see or feel the presence of the magical phenomenon going on around us. In effect, we forgot that we were Puella Magi."

"That may be so." Elise turned towards Sayaka now with a defeated frown and asked, "But are we still angels?"

"Without a doubt." Sayaka then said firmly, laying her right hand over her heart, "We are still Archangels and I am still the Exemplar of the Goddess Madoka - her right hand." The blue haired girl's hand clenched into a fist as she said, "And I damn well want to bring Homura Akemi to justice."

"You sound like you have a plan, _Archange Principal_ Miki." Elise's attention rose, sitting upright as she asked her former superior, "Pray, do tell me what it is."

"'Know your enemy.'" Sayaka quoted as she raised a confident finger up, "I've been doing my homework on Homura Akemi - the damn transfer student who brought us all to this hell. She's the so-called 'mistress' of this universe and she wields an incredible amount of power." The sophomore lit up with pride as she continued, "I've been watching her and her puppets' movements this past month, finding any and every weakness I can find."

"Have you found any?" Elise asked with keen interest.

"Bits and pieces here and there - enough to cause a ruckus, but nowhere near enough to take down the devil herself." Sayaka said as she subconsciously played with a lock of her growing blue hair, "But I learn new things everyday, and I'll piece something together before long." The sophomore then pointed up to the train's destination display and said, "When we get to Kasamino… I'll be testing one of my theories - that Homura's 'universe' only stretches out to Mitakihara City alone."

"Why did you need to bring me along to test this theory?" Elise wondered, speaking her thoughts with a raised brow.

"I wanted to have a chance to speak with you in private." Sayaka said with a complex smile, "Plus, if my suspicions are correct, I'll need someone to convince me that I haven't gone mad and that what I'm seeing is real."

The sophomore then leaned back into her seat and laid her hands on her lap as she recounted,

"When Madoka, Nagisa and I descended into the Isolation Field to save Homura Akemi's soul, the transfer student recreated the entirety of Mitakihara City perfectly. However, nothing existed beyond it. Whenever you reached the outskirts, you would find yourself spirited back to where you came from. The transfer student tested this theory too - as did I."

Sayaka's eyes then looked out the window of the train as they crossed the South Rail Bridge over the Mitakihara River. From the bridge, she could see the fork in the road where Homura Akemi and Kyouko Sakura looped back back and forth on their way to Kasamino City. They never reached their destination then, and neither did Sayaka. The sophomore's hands clenched with anticipation as the trusses of the rail bridge passed by one after another.

"One, two, three…" The sophomore counted the trusses with an expectant whisper, "four, five, six, seven…" Sayaka's fists grew tight as her eyes widened, "eight, nine, ten… eleven!"

Then the twelfth truss unceremoniously came to pass and they managed to cross the rail bridge without a hitch. The industrial park flanking the elevated rail, the outskirts of Mitakihara City, ended and the rugged hills of Kasamino's border came into view. Rows of low-income, mid-rise residential buildings far older and more dilapidated than anything in the Mitakihara City proper appeared as well, huddled around a major naval base* facing the Pacific Ocean. Then, the PA system made an announcement,

" _Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Kasamino City. The train is now approaching, South Kasamino Station, 3rd District of Kasamino. Our estimated time of arrival is 6:00PM sharp._ _Please ensure to gather all of your belongings and to leave no baggage behind onboard the train. Thank you very much for your patronage, and we hope that you would choose to ride with us on your next journey again."_

"So the situation is this bad, huh?" Sayaka groaned as the train started to slow down. The sophomore eyed the naval base and the squadron of warships docked at port - American and Japanese destroyers and frigates, flying the insignia of the Nutcracker Witch in plain sight, "Homura Akemi may very well have full control over the whole world - if not entire universe."

* * *

**Twenty-ninth Act - How Far Are You Willing To Go?**

Sayaka and Elise stayed in the back seat of the South Kanagawa Line prefectural train, looking out the window as they looked for even the slightest sign of an invisible border that could have existed. However, as their train carried on down the tracks and traced the Kasamino City shoreline, the world that Homura Akemi claimed as her own stretched out as far as the eye could see. The warships stationed in the area and civilian ships of all sizes sallied out to and from the visible horizon, illuminating the darkening waters like candles floating out to sea. In the skies, they could see passenger airlines taking off of Haneda Airport's runways to the north and passenger airlines flying in from all over the world.

Their track brought them back to northern Mitakihara City before it would eventually reach its terminus in neighboring Tokyo City. From there, it would loop through Mitakihara and Kasamino again - a never-ending, punctual journey like clockwork. Sayaka Miki had seen enough.

"We're getting off." Sayaka said as she picked herself up from her seat, "The next stop will be right by Haneda Airport in Tokyo - and we haven't had that ramen yet."

The train slowed down to a halt at a small passenger platform in the Fourth District that stood at the end of the North Rail Bridge by the west bank of the Mitakihara River. Sayaka and Elise got onto the platform, passed through the turnstiles, then climbed down an out-of-the-way, dimly lit concrete staircase that no one seemed to use. Only the silver half-moon and an odd streetlamp or two cast light on the hidden stairwell, and the railings were adorned with powder blue paper charms of all shapes and sizes. Every single one of them was marked with the word 'justice'.

As they descended down the steps, the distinct smell of rich pork broth reached Elise's nose and the two of them came across a well-kept nook beneath the elevated platform overlooking the Mitakihara River as it flowed out into Tokyo Bay. There at the nook was a solitary ramen stall with blue cloth drapes and a sign that read 'Mitakihara River Ramen House'. There was hardly anyone else around the area and the scene was rather quiet, punctuated by the occasional train horn that blared and the rattling of rails from up above.

Sayaka sauntered over to the stall and parted the blue drapes, gesturing to Elise to follow her. The French girl obliged and the two girls sat at the middle of the counter and they were welcomed by the cheerful owner of the stall,

" _Irashaimase!_ Are you having the usual?"

"Two please, _ojii-san_. I have a guest today from France."

The cheerful owner gave Elise a kindly nod and the French girl reciprocated before joining Sayaka at the counter. As the owner started to whip up two bowls of ramen, he and Sayaka chatted with familiar banter. It was easy to see that Sayaka was a regular at that hole-in-the-wall stall. She even already had a 'usual' bowl.

"Duramayue-senpai, you're going to like the 'Yokohama-style' ramen." Sayaka grinned expectantly as the kitchen prattle grew lively, "It's not on the menu, but _ojii-san_ here said it was a recipe passed down from generation to generation."

Mitakihara once was known as 'Yokohama', Elise recalled. As a matter of fact, she remembered having heard of this very same ramen stall and its proprietor - the great grandfather of the current owner - from a letter of glowing praise from Lorelei Sankt dated November 1943. A quick glance at the beams of the stall showed Elise a framed trio of well-preserved, high-denomination Reichsmark bills that, as the owner would say, an overly enthusiastic German customer once paid during the Second World War. Elise wondered if Lorelei knew that Reichsmarks were twice as valuable as Imperial Japanese Yen back in the day.

Elise's attention then turned to Sayaka who seemed to be facing her with a satisfied smile.

"You kept the paper charm, didn't you?" Sayaka then knowingly asked, surprising Elise. The French girl kept it in the back pocket of her jacket, so she wondered how Sayaka knew.

"Those paper charms aren't mere ornaments, senpai. They're one of my cards to play against the devil herself." Sayaka then explained with a hint of pride, "They're infused with magic and can help keep things hidden from plain sight - the same sort of magic that made up the Holy Barrier of the Silver Garden."

"The Holy Barrier?" Elise's memory of the barrier was still hazy.

"Yes - it was the network of magical charms scattered around the Silver Garden's forests. It used Madoka's divine power, Lorelei's defensive shield magic and my regenerative magic to form the impenetrable Holy Barrier that once protected the Silver Garden and separated it from the mortal world."

"So that's why you two kept calling Lorelei over to the forest." Elise recalled, but she was still curious, "How did you manage to make these on your own?"

Sayaka had an ominous pause, filtering her words before she spoke again,

"I was the Goddess' Exemplar - her right hand - so I know the Garden's defenses like the back of my own hand." She then laid a hand over her chest and winked, "It's not hard to reverse engineer it if you know the blueprint by heart, senpai."

"That's not what I meant." Elise laid her hands on the table and thoughtfully felt her ringless middle finger, "When we were in the Silver Garden, the Goddess Madoka's blessing naturally cleaned our Soul Gems of any corruption from expending magic." She then glanced at Sayaka's ring and saw its powder blue gem gleaming brightly, "Assuming that the Goddess Madoka has been usurped, how have you kept your gem clean?"

"The same way that the magi of the world cleaned theirs after the Law of Cycles." Sayaka explained as she produced a small pouch and set it on the table with a series of glassy dings, "I use Grief Cubes."

Elise reached for the pouch and drew out one of the transparent, glassy cubes, asking,

"How did you get these? How did you get this many?"

"I stalk the transfer student's team on their Wraith Hunts and pick up the leftovers. Those lumbering beasts hardly give them a challenge and cough up tons of these cubes when they die." Sayaka said as she opened her hand out to Elise, asking for the cube back, "I don't have much of a stockpile, so I am still on conservation mode here - but I can scrape together about two dozen from the leftovers. Three dozen if i'm lucky."

"You're planning to build up a stockpile of cubes." Elise hummed as she deduced, "Just like what we did back in Salvae Terrae Magicae." The French girl then raised a brow, "You're planning to raise an army too, while you're at it."

"Bingo~!" Sayaka confirmed with a confident nod, "And having a former Carissima of Salvae herself on board would be a great boon for the cause." The sophomore then sighed and said, "With the way things stand, though, there are only a handful of girls left who have any magical potential whatsoever."

"That makes sense…" Elise shook her head with frustration then finally returned Sayaka's cube, "During our time as Archangels, we brought up nearly every single Puella Magi up to the Silver Garden already." A grim tone bled into Elise's voice as she said, "The only ones left would be us fallen angels, the magi whose time have not yet come… Akemi-san…"

"And our Goddess Madoka." Sayaka whispered fondly as she looked up to the half moon in the distance, "If we want to stand any chance against the devil, we will need a Goddess to lead us to victory." Sayaka's hands then clenched into fists and said, "I can't stand seeing Homura have Madoka wrapped around her pretty little finger any longer."

"Miki-san…" Elise said with sympathy, "I agree. If there's anyone who can make Akemi-san pay, it's the Goddess." The French girl then proposed, "If we reach out to the other magi, they might listen to us."

"The problem is, we're not the only ones who are thinking of building up a coalition." Sayaka then said as she watched the ramen stall owner bring two bowls of Yokohama-style ramen to them. The sophomore picked up her chopsticks and said, "While I was still piecing my memories together, the transfer student got a head start. She brought Kyouko and Mami Tomoe, your classmate, under her banner."

Sayaka then broke her chopsticks in two and said, "That Homura's probably been working on getting your friend Michi on board too."

"That bitch, Akemi…" Elise grumbled as her own bowl was set in front of her, "Michi wouldn't listen to her - she was a devout follower of the Goddess Madoka. She was third-in-command of the Silver Garden after you, senpai, and she was the Garden's Caretaker while you were gone!"

"Mi-chan's devotion was admirable during our time in the Silver Garden, yes." Sayaka spoke distantly as she rubbed her chopsticks together, "However, from what I've seen in her over the past month, I'm led to question her loyalty to the Goddess." The sophomore then spoke with venomous finality, "A true Archangel would always side with the Goddess - not be swayed by the words of the Devil like Michi has."

"Miki-san, you were never that close with the other Archangels." Elise then said sharply, "So you wouldn't know just how trustworthy and honorable Michi Hideyoshi is."

"Then there might be a chance that the 'Michi Hideyoshi' that you're seeing now here in Homura's universe is not the real Michi Hideyoshi, but a puppet made in her image - a Clara Doll." Sayaka countered coolly with a crumpled brow, "At that point, if her loyalty is not with the Goddess, then it should be a simple decision as to what needs to be done - right, Duramayue-senpai?"

"Are you saying that, if your suspicions have any weight whatsoever, you will kill Michi?" Elise asked with horror.

"We have to be ready to make hard decisions and to do what needs to be done." Sayaka then explained plainly, "When I think of that - I wouldn't give it a second thought." She then looked Elise straight in the eye and whispered, "And neither should you, senpai."

* * *

**Thirtieth Act - Cry For The Moon**

After the two girls had their ramen, they paid for their food and went their separate ways. Sayaka's apartment sat atop a nearby hill, the sophomore told Elise, so she only had a short walk home. Elise, on the other hand, had to catch a bus back to the _Hanasou_ in the Eighth District to the south. Sayaka showed her to the nearest bus stop before they parted and Elise stayed in the glass shelter for a while. A troubled shadow hung over her eyes as she recalled her conversations with Sayaka over ramen.

The bus to the Eighth District came, but Elise just stayed still in the shelter until the bus closed its doors and left. Elise then raised her eyes up to the half-moon hanging peacefully in the starless sky. Digging her hands into her pockets, she followed the moonlight and headed north, walking alongside the Mitakihara River.

Elise passed by a small wind farm where the large blades of the windmills spun to the slow tune of the calm sea breeze. From where Elise was walking, the towering windmills looked awfully close to lean, lanky giants. Elise chuckled at the notion and wondered if Sayaka would have her tilt at those windmills. At the same time, though, Elise could feel that Sayaka wasn't merely rambling about what needed to be done either. Elise was at a loss as to what to do, and what to feel about their precarious situation.

Looking back at the carefree daily life scenes she had been living those past few weeks, Elise realized that it was a bit of a second chance for her. It was an imperfect chance built on lies, but it was pleasant. The food was good and she had been getting the most refreshing sleep she had for centuries. More than that, she was surrounded by the smiles of the _Hanasou Girls_ and spent her days eating, laughing and playing with them. Ligaya de la Cruz was not an Aspirant, and Lorelei Sankt was not the Magni Domina - and Michi Hideyoshi wasn't the Puella Magi who killed her in 1945.

They were just normal girls living normal lives that they never had the chance to live. After decades of hostility and more than a century of regret, she and Michi Hideyoshi finally managed to become friends as regular girls. Now, Sayaka was asking Elise to cast that second chance aside and to stand ready to fight Michi and anyone else who stands with Homura Akemi.

Elise soon reached the mouth of the Mitakihara River where it flowed out into Tokyo Bay. There was a wooden boardwalk that jutted out from the quay. From the boardwalk, she could see the lights of Tokyo City sprawled out to the north and the lights of Mitakihara City reflected on the waters. Walking by the water and looking up to the moon was a habit that Elise had developed more than a century ago - around the time when she first met Michi Hideyoshi in 1939. Elise remembered that time well.

**…**

It was a Tuesday evening on June 20, 1939 when Elise de Lamarliere, then the most prominent Carissima of the Philippine Branch of Salvae, arrived by train at Hsinking, the capital of Manchukuo. The Carissima was accompanied by a cadre of twenty Puella Magi volunteers from the Salvae’s Shanghai branch to investigate rumors that had been floating around about the Manchukuo Branch. According to the rumors, Puella Magi were disappearing mysteriously from the Manchukuo Branch.

Lightly armed and with minimal provisions, Elise and her team were prepared to stay in Hsinking for a few days, telegraph a report to Lorelei in Berlin then return home - a routine branch visit and audit. What was waiting for them at the train station, however, was an ambush set up by the Carissima of Manchukuo herself.

Elise and her team was poisoned, but she fought valiantly alongside a Zealot from Shanghai. However, they could not save the rest of the Inspection Team from the slaughter.

It was at this time that a girl in a blue kimono arrived, wielding a naginata along with an Arisaka bolt-action rifle that she had picked up in a battlefield. She helped Elise fight off the rogue magi of Manchukuo then whisked Elise away from the wreckage of the train before the Kwantung Army could arrive at the scene.

Elise, the Shanghai Zealot and the girl in the blue kimono spend the next few weeks sneaking through Manchukuo, then around the banks of the Khalkyn Gol river. They were wrapped up in the infamous Battle of Nomonhan. They traveled by night when the plains were shrouded in darkness and looked up to the stars to guide their way and shared the same blanket to fend off the harsh cold of the Mongolian nights. They scavenged for weapons and ammunition to preserve their magi. The girl in the blue kimono never told Elise her name, and vice versa, but they worked together remarkably well.

Once they had lost their pursuers, they confronted the Carissima of Manchukuo while her guards were scattered across the Mongolian desert. They defeated her handily and destroyed her clandestine laboratory, burning every piece of equipment and records they could find. When the girl in the blue kimono learned that Elise was a member of Salvae - and a Carissima, no less - the girl disappeared and never returned.

Years later, Elise and the girl in the blue kimono crossed paths again - this time, as enemies. They dueled in the Edificio Gumamela and danced a dangerous dance that ended with Elise’s death in 1945.

Now, the two of them met again in Mitakihara on the Spring of 2088, this time as regular girls. This was their chance to make amends for all that lost time, but now - the two of them were on a collision course yet again. Just when the two of them were getting along, Elise was suddenly made to choose between duty and friendship once more.

Tears formed in Elise’s eyes as the weight of her situation finally struck her in full. She walked down the wooden boardwalk and tightly gripped the railings as she tearfully looked up to the half moon again. There were no stars to guide her that night. Elise’s grip on the railings grew tighter and she screamed out to the sea at the top of her lungs.

Elise then took a deep breath and hung her head low in defeat. Then, she heard a reply rumbling from across Tokyo Bay. Elise let go of the railings as she witnessed a multitude of tall, lanky Wraiths emerging from the dark waters. The once calm waters of Tokyo Bay grew restless and smashed against the boardwalk, spraying Elise with salty mist. Then, the mist coalesced into a thick, heavy miasma that spread out from the bay and into the shore. The Wraiths moaned their low, tortured tones and distorted the city lights and the reflection of the half moon above.

* * *

**Thirty-first Act - The Battle of Tokyo Bay**

"Where in the world is Homura!?" Kyouko hissed at her WristComm device as she and Mami Tomoe hitched a ride atop a local commuter train headed north, "I've been trying to contact her for a while now, but she ain't answering!" The red-haired sophomore grunted as she turned off her device then produced her Soul Gem with a flash of red light and caught it mid-air, "We've got a major outbreak in Third District for crying out loud!"

"I'm more worried about leaving Nagisa at the school…" Mami said with concern painted in her voice, "The miasma is thicker than usual, so if one of the Wraiths gets through us…"

"Stop thinking like that, Mami." Kyouko advised, "The school's in the Eighth District, far south from here, after all." The spear-fighter then grinned, "Besides, we're not planning on letting any dumb Wraith get through us now, are we?"

"Sakura-san…" Mami was touched and promptly smiled back, "You're absolutely right. It's our duty as Puella Magi to protect everyone in Mitakihara and Kasamino City." She now also brought out her Soul Gem and transformed into her Puella Magi attire with a flash of golden light, "Since Akemi-san is not here, I will be taking charge of this battle. Akemi-san will have to settle for the leftover cubes afterwards."

"Hehe, that's only fair." Kyouko nodded as she playfully spun midair and wrapped herself in bright red light, transforming into her Puella Magi attire. She then summoned her modular spear and whirled it confidently as they ran and asked, "So what's the plan, senpai?"

"Let's see what we're up against first." Mami said as they reached an outlook facing Tokyo Bay. From that high vantage point, they watched thick miasma spreading from Tokyo Bay towards the vast shoreline of Mitakihara's Third District. Hundreds of Wraiths were emerging from the dark waters of Tokyo Bay, lumbering towards the shore to the tune of Dvorak's 9th Symphony that played like an ominous anthem.

Kyouko produced a pair of binoculars and looked out to the miasma. She then passed the binoculars to Mami and said,

"I see about 180 of em' crawling out from the water there."

"Luckily for us, there aren't any civilians out in the boardwalk, so this should be fairly simple." Mami said as she looked around once more, but then quickly retracted her earlier statement, "Apologies - I think there's one civilian wandering at the boardwalk." The golden-haired gunner then blinked with concern, "It's… De Lamarliere-san? And she's… looking directly at the Wraiths..."

"What? What's Elise doing all the way out here?" Kyouko gasped with shock, "Wasn't she at the festival earlier?" The sophomore's brow then crumpled, "And are you saying she can _see_ the Wraiths too!?"

"That doesn't matter right now." Mami said as she passed the binoculars back to Kyouko, "Our first priority is to get De Lamarliere-san to safety - then we finish off the Wraiths with one fell swoop."

Kyouko took the binoculars back but she curiously didn't respond to the plan. Mami turned to her partner and asked if anything was wrong. The spear-fighter, however, was stunned as she looked down upon their foes and saw them all pointing their fingers at them. Their fingers then all started to glow ominously. Kyouko gasped and cried,

"Mami, get down!"

She instinctively pushed Mami down onto the floor and the stone overlook shook as it was struck by numerous blasts that felt like a small tremor. The concrete outlook, however, remained intact. Bits of debris rained down on the outlook as Mami tried to gather her bearings. Kyouko Sakura was lying on top of Mami, shielding her from the debris. The spear fighter then stood up and offered Mami a hand,

"You alright, Mami?"

"Y-yeah…" Mami nodded shyly as she let Kyouko help her up. She dusted her costume then cautiously peeked down at the bay again, "Those beams they fired… they didn't damage the outlook much."

"They don't seem to damage the buildings and other stuff in the city, yeah." Kyouko said as she reached behind her head and pulled off her black cloth ribbon, letting her long red hair flow down. The ribbon, however, was charred and was emitting an air of corruption. She tossed it aside and hissed, "But I'm pretty sure those beams'll do a number on us Puella Magi."

"Wraiths have normally been docile whenever we fought them." Mami spoke her thoughts out loud as she watched their enemies' movements, "They only attacked with their claws whenever we get too close, but we've never seen beams."

"Maybe they're adapting to our tactics." Kyouko guessed, trying to see if she has any singed hairs.

"That just means we'll have to adapt as well." Mami said with a serious tone as she waved her hand forward and summoned a thin, golden ribbon and said to Kyouko, "Give me your wrist."

Kyouko obliged and Mami skillfully tied the ribbon around her wrist. The spear-fighter then grinned knowingly at Mami as she whirled her spear,

"We finally get to try this out."

"Indeed." Mami smiled back and gave her partner a curtsy. Six rifled muskets with longer barrels than her usual ones and bipods appeared around Mami. She picked one up and set it up at the ledge of the outlook and said, "I'm ready - Sakura-san, if you would do the honors."

Kyouko gamely hopped up onto the ledge and squatted, coiling herself like a spring as she leapt off the high outlook and glided skillfully towards the miasma. Mami, meanwhile, started to fire at the Wraiths from the outlook - just shy of a thousand meters away - focusing on the Wraiths who were pointing towards Kyouko. Mami's shots flied true and hit their marks reliably, striking a stunning blow to the head or decapitating them.

Round, golden bullets whizzed ahead of Kyouko, with each shot coming roughly every ten seconds or so. Just as Kyouko was about to fall to the ground, a golden ribbon descended from above her and the spear-fighter grabbed hold of it, swinging forward towards the bay like a blur with her hair whipping back wildly in the wind. Once she was in striking distance, she let go of the ribbon and trained her spear forward and skewered three Wraiths all at once, destroying them. A fourth Wraith tried to swing its claws at Kyouko, but an accurate golden bullet struck its throat and tore the Wraith's head clean off.

Kyouko grabbed a handful of Grief Cubes that fell from the dissolving carcasses of the Wraiths midair and held them near her Soul Gem enshrined on her chest, cleansing it until it shone brightly again. Tossing the spent cubes aside, she whipped out her spear and found six Wraiths looming around her and remarked,

"Talk about tenacious! Too bad for you, i'm not fighting alone here!""

Kyouko then raised up her left hand where Mami tied her golden ribbon, and six larger ribbons emerged from the ground and constrained the Wraiths. Kyouko grinned then whirled her spear around in a great circle and cut all six Wraiths down with one strike.

Moments later, Mami Tomoe came swinging in from a golden ribbon of her own and summoned a ring of twelve of her usual short muskets that stuck out from the ground. Kyouko then grabbed a dozen Grief Cubes from her quarries then handed them over to Mami.

"Looks like it works, Sakura-san." Mami hummed proudly as she cleaned her own gem, "I can use my magic near you when you wear my ribbon." She then dropped her spent cubes and picked up two of her muskets at once and said, "We will need to double time, though, if we're going to reach Duramayue-san."

There were still more than a hundred Wraiths lumbering about the Third District. Mami's and Kyouko's stunt managed to draw their attention away from the startled Elise at the boardwalk. Given time, they would be able to pick those Wraiths apart like clockwork - but time was not on their side. Just as Mami and Kyouko were getting ready for another assault, a final Wraith emerged from the bay near the boardwalk.

This was not the usual tall and lanky Wraith that the Mitakihara Trio regularly hunted. This one was larger and had a strange form, to say the least. It was a frightening creature with the head of a skull, a muscular torso and a pencil-thin abdomen that linked to legs crossed in a meditative pose beneath the Wraiths' white cloth garb. It's left arm was pixelated and its left hand seemed to float, detached from its body. Meanwhile, the creature wielded a long, flaming spear in its right. The creature's head then turned to Elise, it's eyeless sockets trained on the stunned senior who stood frozen in place.

The creature's detached hand then flew forward and grabbed Elise tightly like a vicegrip. The French girl struggled, but she found it terribly hard to breathe. Then, the creature's head split into two, revealing a strange, geometric figure behind the skull that glowed with malicious intent.

"De Lamarliere-san!" Mami cried out to her, but the hundreds of Wraiths promptly formed a wall between the two magi and the fearsome creature's victim.

Elise grunted as the creature's grip grew tighter and tighter. She winced from the pain but kept one eye open as she was brought face to face with the fearsome creature's geometric inner face. Was this the way it was going to end? Just as she felt her lungs giving out, she felt as if time stood still for the briefest of moments.

Then, a naginata appeared and shot cleanly through the back of the creature's hand that held Elise. The creature's hand then let go, and a barrage of rapid gunfire struck the creature's geometric inner face, causing it to pull back and shield itself. Just as Elise started to fall, someone caught her midair and carried her gently to the ground.

Elise felt the fine silk fabric of a blue kimono from the arms that cradled her. The French girl raised her eyes up and saw the willow branch ornament that she gave, paired with a distinct silver kanzashi pin. Enshrined on that pin was an unmistakeable turquoise blue gem that shone brighter than the half-moon in the starless Mitakihara sky. Then, she saw the profile of her savior who firmly carried her in her arms - the freshman Michi Hideyoshi.

"Michi…" Elise's croaked in a frail voice, overcome by both pain and fascination.

"You're safe now, Elise." Michi said as she helped her get back onto her feet, "Can you walk?"

"Y-yeah…" Elise said as she regained her footing. She then looked behind her back and saw the creature readying itself for another attack, "What about… that… thing?"

"I'll handle it from here with Mami and Kyouko." Homura Akemi then said now as she landed on the boardwalk, placing herself between the two girls and the foul creature, "Michi-san, go take Duramayue to a safe spot away from the battlefield." The sophomore then tilted her head backwards and said, "We'll talk again soon - all three of us - but let's get through this first, okay?"

"Okay." Michi nodded then reached her left hand forward and cast a turquoise blue flash of light. The light then coalesced into a naginata that she caught midair. She took a deep breath, turned to Elise then offered her right hand, "Shall we get going, Elise?"

Elise took a moment to take everything that was happening in. Then, she gave a nod and took Michi by the hand.

"Let's go."

* * *

**Thirty-second Act - This Time, Together...**

Hand in hand, Michi and Elise ran together down the boardwalk, away from the furious battle that was raging behind them. Elise dared to look back and saw Mami and Kyouko regroup with Homura Akemi while the lanky Wraiths and the strange new one began a blistering counterattack.

"What is going on…?" The dumbstruck Elise asked, turning to Michi as they ran, "Why is this happening…?"

"It's a Wraith attack, I believe." Michi explained as they tried to pick up the pace, "That's what Homura-san was calling it, at least."

"That's not what I mean, Michi." Elise shook her head as she glanced at the turquoise blue gem that crowned her silver kanzashi, "Why did you become a Puella Magi again!?"

"Elise…" Michi said softly, unsure of how to explain herself to her roommate.

However, a trio of lanky Wraiths appeared in the distance, interrupting Michi's thoughts. The Wraiths cut them off from the end of the boardwalk and they all pointed their fingers at the two girls, moaning as they chanted their ominous chant.

"Watch out!" Michi cried as she pulled Elise to the side, against the concrete walls of the tall quay. They pressed their backs against the quay and three energy beams shot past them, missing them by the inch.

"I will answer all of your questions in time, Elise - I swear on my honor." Michi promised as she squeezed Elise's hand gently, "But for now - please believe in me and let me protect you."

Elise squeezed Michi's hand in reply then gave a firm nod.

The two of them then turned back and looked for a staircase to climb up the quay. A stray Wraith appeared there before them and raised its menacing claws, ready to swipe. Michi let go of Elise's hand and stepped forward, holding her naginata with both hands as she squared off with the Wraith.

The Wraith swung first, but Michi parried the claws with the blade of her naginata. She then pushed back against the tall Wraith then struck the Wraith's claws with a high kick. Michi's wooden slippers shattered the claw. Then, with a graceful pirouette, she faced the Wraith again and thrust her naginata straight through the Wraith's ribs. Michi's thrust drew a spray of black, soot-like blood that drained the Wraith until it dissolved into a mass of black and white pixels.

Three Grief Cubes appeared where the Wraith's carcass once was and Michi caught them all midair. Michi fought to catch her breath, winded by the encounter against one solitary wraith. The naginata-wielder herself was in disbelief, but she shook her head and wiped the soot off of her face on the sleeve of her kimono.

"Are you alright?" Elise asked, worried about the winded naginata-wielder.

"I'll be fine once you're safe, Elise." Michi said, taking a deep breath as she brought the three cubes behind her head to cleanse her gem. She then tossed them aside and offered Elise her hand again, "Let's keep going."

Elise took Michi's hand again and they continued their search together.

" _Then there might be a chance that the 'Michi Hideyoshi' that you're seeing now here in Homura's universe is not the real Michi Hideyoshi, but a puppet made in her image - a Clara Doll."_

" _At that point, if her loyalty is not with the Goddess, then it should be a simple decision as to what needs to be done - right, Duramayue-senpai?"_

The warnings of Sayaka Miki echoed around in Elise's mind, permeating the sounds of the fierce battle around them. Elise's heart, however, beat to a different tune as she watched the focused profile of Michi Hideyoshi. There was no doubt in her heart that this was the real Michi Hideyoshi - the same one who saved her in Manchukuo on 1939, the same one she fought in Manila on 1945, and the same one she ascended to the Silver Garden with on 2088.

What Elise saw before her was a Puella Magi who had only just awoken from a long, month-long slumber. She was only just remembering that she was a Puella Magi. Her skills were rusty, but her magic was real and bright. And this girl was risking her life to protect her.

This was the real Michi Hideyoshi, and nothing would tell Elise otherwise.

The girls soon found the staircase they were looking for, a wide concrete flight of steps that led out to the main Third District avenue where the thick cloud of miasma ended. If they can make it there, they would be safe. A pair of Wraiths, however, stood guard at the steps. It was almost as if it had been waiting for them.

"It's an ambush…" Michi said with concern as she turned to look back. The three Wraiths from earlier were also closing in, along with four others now.

"This feels familiar, doesn't it?" Elise then said with a purposefully slow tone, " _Girl in the blue kimono_?" She then chuckled, "Every time we meet like this, it ends up in an ambush of some sort."

Michi recognized that old name, and replied with an awestruck, " _Kishi-san_ … you remember."

Elise wore a confident smile, "You never told me your name in Manchukuo."

Tears formed in Michi's eyes as emotions flooded her heart and memories came rushing to her mind. She then gritted her teeth and fought back her tears then turned to Elise and asked,

"Can you handle a sword?"

"Much better than you can." Elise said confidently.

"Then I hope you take better care of it this time." Michi said with a small, lighthearted smile. She reached into a fold of her kimono and then drew out a katana in its scabbard, "This is the same one I lent to you in Manchukuo. Homura said she found it locked away in a museum." She then offered the blade to Elise and said, "This was my father's - the Hideyoshi family heirloom."

"You never told me that…!" Elise hesitated now, not realizing the value of that katana she once wielded.

"Well, you never asked." Michi chuckled, offering the blade once more, "Besides - if there's anyone I would trust with a sword, it would be you, Elise."

"You sure know what to say to make a girl happy, Michi." Elise smiled as she took the sword, "I'll be honored to fight alongside you again."

Elise carefully drew out the katana and watched her own reflection as she pulled the blade out of the scabbard. Indeed, it was a familiar weight. She gave the sword a good one-handed swing and the blade sang as clearly as the light of the half-moon above. There were no stars in the sky that evening - and there have been no stars since the day Elise de Lamarliere first stepped into Mitakihara City. However, there was a shining light standing beside her now - and she had every intention to follow her once more.

* * *

**Epilogue**

In an apartment on a hill overlooking the boardwalk of the Third District, the silhouette of Sayaka Miki looked out the window and watched the battle unfolding before her. She watched the trio of Mami, Kyouko and Homura plow through the lanky Wraiths in a graceful ballet of destruction. Then, down at the staircase from the quay, she saw Michi and Elise emerge from their own little battle tired but victorious.

A displeased frown formed on her lips as she looked down upon the pair arm in arm as they climbed the staircase together. Then, there was a soft tap of a paw on her window and the silhouette of the Injured Kyuubey appeared behind the light of the half-moon. Sayaka sighed and opened the window, allowing the creature into her room.

"So what do you think, Miki-san?" The little creature asked as it wagged its skinned tail, "That large Wraith over there with the spear - it's what my brothers and I call the 'Shugen Wraith'. It is a Wraith that, after long hours of meditation, has achieved the first level of enlightenment."

"Enlightenment?" Sayaka scoffed, "Have you taken a fancy for religion too?"

"All religions of the normals arose from miracles and tragedies that we, Incubators, were involved with." The Injured Kyuubey then said, "All the religious peoples and their processions and festivals were inspired by those miracles." The creature then turned to Sayaka with a curious gaze and said, "Your Goddess Madoka and the Devil Homura too arose from those supernatural phenomena."

"Cut the anthropology lecture." Sayaka said impatiently, "Those things are stronger and can take a hell of a lot more punishment than normal Wraiths do. That's all I need to know."

"Surely, this will put a lot more pressure on mistress Akemi and her hunters." The Injured Kyuubey looked pleased with himself as he spoke, "The regular Wraiths have learned how to use their energy beams too - sadly Tomoe-san and Sakura-san worked too well together."

"Don't remind me." Sayaka clicked her tongue, turning away from the gunner and spear-fighter assaulting the Shugen Wraith in perfect sync with each other.

"In any case, the Shugen Wraith - and any other variety of Wraith that may come after it…" The Injured Kyuubey started, "These are our signs of support for you and your cause."

"You say that, but those Wraiths of yours would attack me too as soon as they see me, wouldn't they?" Sayaka raised a brow.

"Wraiths and Puella Magi are the natural enemies in this world - just like Witches and Puella Magi were in the one you and mistress Akemi remembered."The Injured Kyuubey explained, "However, perhaps in time, these very Wraiths can give you a golden opportunity to strike at the Devil's throat."

"We'll have to see - and I'll have to be ready." Sayaka replied. She then turned to the Incubator and said, "In order for that to happen, I'll need a little more help from you Incubators." The sophomore's blue eyes then shone from the bursts of magical light in the distance, "Those notes from the Carissima of Manchukuo's 1939 research - you remember them, don't you? I'd like to know more about it."

**To Be Continued**


	12. This Is Our Reality Now

**Prologue**

It was half past seven in the evening in the Mitakihara Junior High School, when the special, one-day Cultural Festival came to a close. The Thunder Sisters, Lorelei Sankt and Ligaya de la Cruz, announced the end over the PA system. They then called the crowds - students, teachers and visitors alike - to come to the track-and-field oval behind the auditorium for the festival's closing ceremonies.

The slumbering Madoka was curled up in a ball when she first heard the announcement. She stirred on the sofa of the auditorium's spare storehouse and gave a satisfied yawn as she stretched delightfully. She then turned to her WristComm's watch and gasped,

"Gosh, I didn't know I was asleep that long!"

Madoka was embarrassed, but she peeled herself off of the sofa and looked around hoping to see Homura and the others. However, it was only her and Nagisa there in that spare storeroom that evening.

"Nagisa-chan, are Homura-chan and the others not back yet?" Madoka asked as she rubbed her groggy eyes with the back of her hand, "The festival's already ending."

"No, not yet…" Nagisa said weakly as she looked out to the half moon in the starless sky through the window. The poor little girl was still wrestling with the things she learned not so long ago. The harassment of Elise de Lamarliere at the hands of the devil that she saw and the sense of dire urgency from the often calm and collected Witch Francine that she heard in the painting did not sit well with her at all.

" _Mou~_ , and she was the one who asked us to stay put here in the auditorium…" Madoka moaned with innocent impatience. She too then looked out of the window and asked, "It's not raining anymore now, is it?"

Nagisa shook her head and kept her head low, thoughtfully planting her feet on the vinyl-sheet covered floor beside the painting of _La Fille et la Mirroir._

"Then, why don't the two of us head on out?" Madoka then proposed with a smile, "We went here to take shelter from the rain, right? The skies are clear now, so we should be able to go out!"

"Yeah, but… Homura-neesan…" Nagisa tried to argue.

"Don't worry about Homura-chan. She'll listen to me." Madoka said with a confident wink, "She won't get mad at us if we go out ahead of them. Besides, we don't want to miss out on the closing ceremony, do we?"

Nagisa watched Madoka with surprise as the pink-haired sophomore spoke with uncharacteristic, albeit playful defiance. Then, Nagisa remembered that this was still the same Madoka Kaname that became the Goddess Madoka in what seemed like such a long time ago now. This was the same Madoka who broke the laws of the universe itself and rewrote them for the sake of all Puella Magi. Hearing Madoka speak and act like this made Nagisa wonder - just how much of the Goddess was still sleeping in the Madoka standing before her?

Madoka tore Nagisa away from her thoughts with a reassuring smile for the young, white-haired girl. She then offered Nagisa her hand and invited her,

"Come on, Nagisa-chan. Let's go."

Fascinated by the glimpse of the Goddess she saw, Nagisa took Madoka's hand and let the sophomore guide her out of the auditorium. She glanced at the profile of Madoka beside her and she could see the Goddess in her peaceful and comforting smile. Troubles still brewed in Nagisa's heart, but she managed a small smile for Madoka. The two of them opened the auditorium doors together and made their way to the track-and-field oval where the festival-goers were gathered.

"Look, Nagisa-chan - they're starting the bonfire!" An excited Madoka piped up as they found themselves a good spot to watch from - a shaded nook beneath a linden tree. From there, Madoka and Nagisa watched as the student council members gather around a pile of wooden pallets stacked on the dirt at the center of the oval.

Noe Ogasawara, the popular student council president, ceremoniously carried a torch towards the pile and lit the bonfire and was cheered on by applause from the audience. She tossed the torch into the pile of pallets and a tongue of flame shot upward like a pillar, reaching for the heavens. Roused by the flame, the student council members started to dance in exultation, going around the fire in a circle as they chanted in sing-song voices,

" _Die Hexe sind Tot! Gott ist Tot! Welt ist Tot!_ "

" _Die Hexe sind Tot! Gott ist Tot! Welt ist Tot!"_

Hearing this chant made Nagisa's face grow pale. To the untrained ear, it was a lively and innocent chant that caught on with the crowd well. To Nagisa, however, it was an ominous declaration of victory, and a vicious call for blood. Then just as Nagisa suspected, the student council members started parading around twelve straw dolls that bore similarities to the twelve dolls of _Hyouka Tabemasu_.

Invisible to the other festival-goers were charcoal grey threads that tethered twelve Incubators tightly - one bound to each of the straw dolls. Nagisa, again, seemed to be the only one who saw the foul creatures in their pathetic state. Noe Ogasawara then raised up her straw doll - one that closely resembled the doll of the Watchmaker's Daughter - and pointed it towards the towering tongue of flame. The other council members followed suit, and the Incubators squirmed helplessly as the flame reflected in their trembling red eyes. Then, one after the other, the dolls and the Incubators tied to them were hurled into the flame.

There was something wrong in the devil's corner, Nagisa figured. This bonfire was more than just a closing ceremony, after all. This was a public execution for an innocent audience and a sleeping Goddess who all danced merrily as Incubators burned at the stake. This was a warning of some sort, or punishment for a crime that displeased the devil herself. Seeing that, Nagisa couldn't help but wonder if they, Puella Magi, would be burned at the stake as well.

The student council members' dance continued and the crowd joined in with an infectious and rhythmic clapping that resonated in the starless night sky. Madoka too joined in and cheered for the council members as the flames consumed the straw dolls and the twelve Incubators bound to them. Nagisa, the only one who could see the ritual for what it was, hung her head low and felt herself shrinking in the fanfare of the crowd.

It was at this time that Nagisa felt a gentle hand planted on her shoulder. Nagisa was frightened and whirled her head back, reaching for the silver ring that she wore on her left middle finger. However, it was only the gentle Ukrainian giant, Serafina Larivenko who was standing before her, wearing a wide and motherly smile for the little girl. Nagisa lowered her hands and felt a wave of relief as she tried to smile back. The weight of her thoughts kept her from doing so, however, and Serafina's kindly eyes were quick to notice.

"Nagisa _dynya_ , is there something wrong?"

There were a lot of things wrong with this world, Nagisa quietly lamented. She couldn't simply tell Serafina, now a young adult who had forgotten her past, about everything she could see. Serafina wouldn't believe her. To Serafina, Nagisa's words would have been just another child's ramblings. What's more, Nagisa herself was starting to lose track of what was right and wrong. The universe that Homura Akemi ruled over was oppresively charcoal grey - like the strings that tethered the Incubators as they burned, and the strings from which those ominous powder blue paper charms hung.

"Everything's fine." Nagisa quietly lied, shying away from Serafina's eyes.

"Aw, come on _dynya_. Don't be afraid to talk to me." Serafina insisted with a warm smile, "I watched over Madoka _dynya_ when she was your age in the US, you know, so I can tell when kids are holding back."

Serafina's insistence chipped away at Nagisa's restless heart. Before long, Nagisa's heart urged her to speak. The little girl carefully chose her words then faced the Ukrainian to ask,

" _Bryndza_ -neesan… you're an adult, right?" Nagisa started, calling Serafina by her nickname, "There's something that I wanna ask you."

"Anything, _dynya._ " Serafina redoubled her smile as she patted Nagisa on the head.

"Well…" Nagisa fidgeted as the bonfire's flame reflected in her eyes, "I have a bad feeling that my friends are in trouble, but they don't know they're in trouble. They won't believe me if I told them either." She then turned away from Serafina with a frown dragging down her lips, "I want to help them, but I don't know how."

"Trouble?" Serafina asked with concern, "Is this something you need to report to the police?"

Nagisa shook her head.

"What about your teachers?" Serafina probed, "Can they help your friends?"

Nagisa shook her head again.

"Ah… it's that kind of problem, huh? Hmm…" Serafina hummed as her mind chewed on Nagisa's words. The young Ukrainian woman then chuckled as she raised up a finger for emphasis, "Would you be surprised if I told you we adults stress over those kinds of things as much as you do?"

"Ehh? Really?" Nagisa seemed mystified by the thought, "Aren't adults supposed to have everything figured out?"

"Oh, how we wish that were the case." Serafina wore a rueful smile as she closed her eyes, "We adults have been on this world much longer than you children, yes. We got our education, gained experience in all sorts of things and maybe earn a little wisdom here and there - but every day is a puzzle that we have to solve." She then turned to Nagisa and patted her head, saying, "To be honest, I'm also a little worried about my own friends - Audrey _tovarisch_ and Junko _tovarisch_."

"You are…?" Nagisa gasped, "What's wrong?"

"Can't tell you the details, little one. We have 'nondisclosure agreements', you see." Serafina laughed as she ruffled Nagisa's hair even more, "But to put it simply, Audrey and I are part of a team and Junko is our boss. I'm in charge of the heavy lifting - literally - since I can drive a truck. Audrey and Junko, meanwhile, handle the office work that I barely have a clue about." The Ukrainian then sighed heavily as she said, "The two of them are under a whole lot of pressure right now since our project is resting almost entirely on their shoulders - and there's almost nothing this poor, truck-driving _gopnik_ fool could do for them."

"What do you do, then?" Nagisa asked with curiosity.

"I do what I know I can do for them and I try to do it well - I drive." Serafina grinned confidently, "I drive one of the company trucks for the team day in and day out - so much so that I can fall asleep on the wheel and still make it to the Mitakihara Container Port and back! Though… thankfully, I haven't fallen asleep on the wheel." She then showed Nagisa the blazer that she was wearing again and said, "I also sideline as the Kaname family's chauffeur whenever I have time… and for a spot of extra cash."

The Ukrainian then fished out a sharp-looking chauffeur's cap and said, "I also drive Audrey and Junko back to their homes whenever they've had too much to drink - like tonight."

"Ehhh!?" Nagisa was surprised, "How did they get drunk at the festival!?"

"Kazuko Saotome brought us to the staff-only _amazake_ stall and the three of them drank way more than they could handle." Serafina explained with an embarrassed laugh, "The three of them are already there in the back of the Grace sleeping soundly, so I'll be bringing them all home. I may end up taking care of them all in the morning too when their hangovers kick in." The Ukranian then turned to Nagisa with a determined expression and said, "But I will be there for them, and I want them to know that I'm there for them. That's how I'll help them out."

"I see…" Nagisa said, feeling a small sprout of confidence taking root, "I'll need to be there for my friends no matter what, huh?"

As Nagisa was saying this, she spotted a trio of students coming towards them from the main entrance. Mami walking over to their spot beneath the tree with Kyouko and Homura in tow. When she realized it was them, Nagisa's eyes widened and she broke into a sprint towards the three. Nagisa leapt forward and caught Mami in a tight embrace as she cried with relief,

"Mami-neesan! Kyouko-neesan! Homura-neesan! You guys weren't answering your phones! I was worried you three turned into cheese!"

"Don't you worry, _bebe_. I'm not going to turn into cheese." Mami chuckled she playfully spun around with Nagisa clinging onto her, "Besides, who's going to take care of you and Sakura-san if I go?"

"Oy, I can take care of myself pretty damn well, y'know!" Kyouko puffed her chest in protest and produced a box of Pocky sticks, "Mami's the one who'll be lost if I don't pick up after her!"

"Really now?" Mami asked with a raised brow. She set Nagisa down and paced back to Kyouko with an observant hum as she said, "Ah! Your hair ribbon's coming undone, Sakura-san. Come here - let me fix it for you."

"Is it?" Kyouko sounded surprised, whipping her head back and forth as she tried in vain to check on her hair ribbon, "Please do!"

" _Fufufu_ , very well." Mami smirked as she went ahead and helped Kyouko fix her hair ribbon.

By the time Kyouko realized what Mami was doing, she tried to jolt away and complain, "Hey!"

"Please stay still, Sakura-san." Mami snickered, and Kyouko grudgingly obliged.

The scene drew a small chuckle from Nagisa, but the elementary schooler noticed that Kyouko's ponytail was haphazardly done and tied with a peculiar golden ribbon rather than her usual black one. Mami and Homura themselves also had disheveled hair and had faint traces of soot on their faces. The three of them had just returned from a major battle, Nagisa deduced, but they were trying to pass it off as a mere evening walk.

Then, Nagisa felt that she already knew what Mami would tell her next.

"Nagisa-chan, Sakura-san and I might have to stay at school a little while longer for a meeting." Mami said with an apologetic smile, "We might have to go home late tonight…"

These were the exact words that Nagisa anticipated. However, she then felt Serafina's empathetic hand on her shoulder as the Ukrainian made an offer,

"Actually, Tomoe- _tovarisch_ , I will be dropping Audrey back to her condo. You both live in the same building, right?" Serafina then grinned heartily, "I can take Nagisa _dynya_ back to the condo and watch over her too if you want. I'll be watching over the dru… I mean, tired Audrey anyways."

"Oh? We wouldn't want to impose that on you, Larivenko-san." Mami lightly tried to refuse.

"I insist, _tovarisch!_ " Serafina said happily, "Audrey's a dear friend and coworker of mine, so that kinda makes me your neighbor too. And as your neighbor, I want to be there for you guys too."

"If that's alright with you, then alright." Mami conceded and gave an appreciative bow, "We'll leave Nagisa-chan in your care."

Serafina nodded back with a smile then turned to Nagisa with a thumbs up.

" _Bryndza_ -neesan…" Nagisa said with a more lighthearted expression. Then, she smiled and replied with a happy nod, "Let's go home together."

…

While Nagisa, Mami, Kyouko and Serafina were chatting by the tree, Homura broke rank and sauntered on through the crowd of festival-goers around the bonfire. Student council members discreetly parted the crowd and let Homura pass through into the clearing around the fire. There, she saw Madoka Kaname dancing with the student council members in a circle around the fire. Madoka then turned towards Homura and their eyes met.

"Homura-chan!" Madoka gasped as she saw her classmate. She beamed at Homura and took her by the hand, pulling her closer to the fire as she invited her to dance. The often cold and distant Homura didn't resist and wore a small smile as she obliged. Homura then clumsily, albeit earnestly, started to dance to Madoka's rhythm.

"Sorry I'm late." Homura apologized as she placed her palm against Madoka's and danced around in a circle with her, "Mami-san, Kyouko-san and I got caught up with something."

"Don't worry about that, Homura-chan. You're here with me now, and that's all that matters to me." Madoka shook her head then twirled around majestically like a ballerina, "I'm also sorry I went out of the auditorium before you returned."

"We were late, so it couldn't be helped." Homura said now as she carefully let Madoka spin her around this time, "You're happy now, and that's all that matters to me."

"I see." Madoka beamed as they danced shoulder-to-shoulder now. The pink-haired girl's eyes met with the time-traveler's as Madoka asked, "You seem kinda happy tonight - did something nice happen?"

"It's too early to tell." Homura said as she now tried to mirror Madoka's twirl, "But yes - perhaps something good did happen. I haven't felt this way for a long time."

"Then I'm glad." Madoka titled her head gently and smiled anew, "I missed seeing you smile, Homura-chan."

"I know." Homura replied as the small smile she wore grew slightly wider. The two of them parted their hands then ended their routines with polite and graceful bows.

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**This Is Our Reality Now**

* * *

**Thirty-second Act - A Promise Made To A Sword Bathed In Moonlight**

The fanfare of the closing ceremony and the towering pillar of flame of the bonfire reached the distant, open window of Room 308 in the _Hanasou_ dormitory a few kilometers away. Michi Hideyoshi, still clad in her turquoise blue kimono, looked quietly out to the festival and listened to the songs and cheers with a pensive smile on her lips. Her eyes were then drawn to her small, left hand with shallow scratches and wounds and the cloth bandage that tightly wrapped them. The pain stung her hand, but it hardly registered in her mind and was dulled by an unknown force. The Hokkaido native still couldn't believe that just moments ago, she was fighting supernatural beasts with magical powers she didn't know she had.

As Michi held her left hand in her right, there was a knock on the door. The door then opened and Elise de Lamarliere, fresh from a long shower, stepped inside wearing her lilac nightgown and a towel draped over her shoulders.

"Was there anyone else at the bath?" Michi then asked as Elise closed the door.

"Not a soul." Elise shook her head then joined her hands coyly behind her back, "It seems that everyone is still having fun at the festival." She then glanced outside the window and chuckled, "Though I believe they will all be coming back soon."

"I see…" Michi peeled herself away from the windowsill and smiled, "Have you managed to calm down now?"

"Yes." Elise said as she held her right hand in her left, "But I still have trouble believing that this isn't just some dream." The French girl's voice then grew longing as she heaved a sigh, "Just yesterday, we were mere junior high schoolers who were preparing for a Cultural Festival. Now, we're trapped in the middle of some sort of magical war."

"Well, this is our reality now." Michi said with an empathetic tone, "Magic exists, and so do the creatures - these Wraiths that terrorize innocent people." She then turned back to face the window and raised her eyes up to the half moon in the starless night sky and said, "What's more, the two of us came from a different place - a different time. 'Yokohama' is now 'Mitakihara', the United Nations replaced the League of Nations - and they've shrunk computers so much that we can wear them on our wrists like these 'WristComm' things."

"The Second World War ended 143 years ago." Elise then said as she folded her towel and set it aside, "Everything we see around us was built on the ashes of that vicious war and everyone here is standing on the graves of those fallen before them." The French girl's eyes then turned to the kanzashi hairpin's gem and said, "And yet Puella Magi still exist."

"They're needed now more than ever." Michi then said grimly as a gentle breeze blew into the room, rustling the willow-branch charm that she wore, "You saw how many Wraiths were spawned that evening - and that large one with the flaming spear."

"I know that they're needed, Michi - but why did you choose to become a Puella Magi again?" Elise then asked with concern, "Tomoe-san, Sakura-san… and even Akemi-san… the three of them keep the Greater Mitakihara Area safe, don't they?"

"They do - and they do a fine job." Michi nodded, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she said, "But I want to understand why we were brought here to 2088 Mitakihara - all six of us." She then turned to Elise and said, "You and me, Lorelei and Ligaya, Audrey and Serafina… we were all brought here for a reason, and I must know why."

"How do you plan to discover that?" Elise then challenged, her face hidden partly by the shadows cast by the curtains, "You see, Michi, I…"

"Homura-san promised to tell me the truth - about how we got here, and why we're all still here." Michi interrupted, declaring as she faced Elise with a firm stance, "In exchange, she asked me for a favor - to become a Puella Magi again and to fight at her side."

"... fight at her side…" Elise repeated weakly, assaulted by a brief dizzy spell as she recalled Sayaka's ultimatum. Hiding her face away from Michi, she lowered her head and asked, "Have you made up your mind about this? Are you sure that can trust her?"

"I asked Homura-san for some time to think." Michi then said as she produced her family's heirloom katana and its scabbard, "As a sign of good will, she restored my magic and returned my father's katana to me - but she expects me to give her an answer soon." The freshman then turned to Elise with a complex expression, "As to whether or not I can trust her… I have no choice but to believe."

"What if she turns on you?" Elise then asked, "What if she doesn't keep her end of the bargain?"

A serious air hung around the room as she waited for Michi's response. The freshman pensively laid a hand on the hilt of her family sword and said,

"Then I… I will deal with her in my own way."

When Michi turned to Elise, the French girl stepped forward into the light and laid a hand on her hip as she asked,

"You're not planning to do all this on your own again, are you?"

"Elise…?" Michi was surprised by her roommates reply.

"It was pretty mean of you to leave me alone back in 1939 in Hsinking." Elise said as she took a spot by the window beside Michi, "After we burned the rogue Carissima's hideout to the ground, I was going to invite you to join Salvae, Terrae Magicae." She leaned against the windowsill then teased, "You have a really bad habit of keeping things to yourself and taking everything into your own hands."

"But I…" Michi tried to search for an excuse, but she couldn't find any.

"You saved me from those traitors in Hsinking - and you lent me an ear in Manila, even when we were bitter enemies." Elise then said as she laid a hand on her heart, "I've owed you a debt of gratitude twice in the last century. Allow me to repay you this time around."

A shy smile formed on Michi's lips now as she considered Elise's offer and deduced,

"You're not going to take 'no' for an answer, are you?"

"A simple 'please help me, Elise-sama' will suffice." Elise smugly challenged as she smiled back.

"Well then." Michi said with a more confident voice as she peeled herself off of the windowsill and faced Elise with her sword in hand. She then knelt down gracefully before Elise and raised up the Hideyoshi family sword to her and asked, "Please help me, Elise…" She then shyly turned her eyes away as she whispered, "... Elise-sama."

Elise blushed, surprised that Michi went ahead and said the line - doubling down as she knelt there in the moonlight. It looked like a scene straight out of a 19th century samurai drama - but that suited Michi perfectly well.

"Michi - to me, you are still the Caretaker of the Silver Garden. And I am still your Exemplar." Elise said as she too knelt down with Michi and took the sword by the hilt and the scabbard, "We still have work that needs to be done. So even if we must go deeper into this hell to see it through, it would be my honor to accompany you."

"And it is my honor to have you with me." Michi said formally, but her happiness was spilling into her tone.

"Well then…" Elise asked as she held the katana by the scabbard, "when do we get started?"

* * *

**First Interlude**

_May 2, 2088 - Sunday_

It was early the next morning in the _Hanasou_ dormitory and the sun had only just risen when a sleepy Ligaya de la Cruz emerged from her Room 104 and fumbled lazily through the hallways. She yawned a long, refreshing yawn as she tried to find her way to the mail room by the front door. However, when she passed by the dormitory's common kitchen, however, the fragrance of strong coffee and toast reached her nose and stole her attention.

It was a Sunday morning, Ligaya thought as she checked the time and date on her WristComm with half-opened eyes. She then poked her head through the kitchen's threshold then found Michi and Elise seated at the table, finishing off an early breakfast together.

" _Ehhh? Gising na kayo?_ " Ligaya blurted out in Filipino, wondering why the two girls were up so early and ready to go.

Michi was letting her hair down that morning, trading her usual kanzashi pin for a similar paulownia-shaped pin that she wore on her dark blue jacket. She wore a simple white blouse with a long, khaki skirt. Elise, on the other hand, wore her wavy hair freely as she always did and donned a chic, long sleeved shirt with white and lilac stripes over a black skirt with trimmings of lilac-colored lilies. Ligaya rarely ever saw Michi and Elise in their casual clothes, so the Filipina just stood there in awe and felt underdressed in her olive green pajamas.

"Good morning, Ligaya." Michi replied as she dabbed a napkin on her lips then wore a kindly smile, "Elise and I have… ah… club tryouts to go to."

"Really?" Ligaya piped up with a bright flourish, "Good luck to you two then!" The Filipina girl then grinned and said, "I'm sure the two of you can get into anything if you put your minds into it. Lorelei and I watched the recording of _Hyouka Tabemasu_ last night and it was so~ cool~! Michi really poured her heart out on stage and the backgrounds looked amazing!"

"You flatter us, Ligaya." Elise chuckled, brushing off the Filipina's praise, "You and Lorelei did an excellent job at the broadcast booth too." She then gave Ligaya a small smile as well as she added, "Your Japanese has gotten good too."

"Eheh, you think so?" Ligaya smiled back from ear to ear, "Lorelei said so too - so I'm glad." The Filipina then joined her hands behind her back then shyly spoke, "Actually… the Broadcasting Club president came and invited me and Lorelei to try out too. Lorelei and I are on the fence about it though - we kinda want to do it, but we already have our class rep duties after all."

"Is it possible for you and Lorelei to do both at the same time?" Michi then asked with an encouraging tone, "The two of you seemed like you were having so much fun on the _Thunder Sisters' Show_ yesterday." The Japanese girl then faced Ligaya and said, "Even if it was raining pretty hard, the two of you kept the show going. I thought that was pretty cool - and I think the Broadcasting Club people thought so too."

"Oh stop it - you're making me blush here!" Ligaya waved her hand in front of her face coyly, "Alright - I'll talk to Lorelei about it when she wakes up. I'm sure we can think of something."

"We'll wish the two of you luck too, then." Elise cheered this time, "We'll be heading out now."

"See ya!" Ligaya said as she watched Michi and Elise head on out of the _Hanasou Dormitory_. Then, Lorelei realized something and tilted her head with curiosity, "I forgot to ask what Club they were joining…"

* * *

**Thirty-third Act - The New Covenant**

Half an hour later, after leaving the _Hanasou_ dormitory, Michi and Elise found themselves at the door to Mami Tomoe's maisonette unit at the fourteenth floor of a high-end residential complex in the Sixth Mitakihara District. The two girls, clad in their cozy casual clothes rang the doorbell and patiently waited outside. All the while, Michi thoughtfully held her left hand in her right and felt the contour of her silver Soul Gem ring.

The lock of Mami's door then clicked and the door itself opened as the gracious Mami Tomoe appeared with a welcoming smile on her lips. She was wearing a golden brown turtleneck sweater with matching cream-colored pants - a sharp, yet motherly combo that suited her strikingly well. Mami kindly placed her hands together then greeted with her usual, pleasant voice, "Please, come on inside and have tea with us."

Mami ushered Michi and Elise into the maisonette and the two visitors took in the posh and warm decorations around them. This was the first time that Elise had been to Mami Tomoe's maisonette and the French girl quickly felt that the _Hanasou_ 's rooms paled in comparison. Even Michi who had been here a number of times in the past was still in awe at the place.

"This is a wonderful maisonette, Tomoe-san. A large one too." Elise complimented as she looked around, "Do you live here with your family?"

"Hmm…" Mami said with a contemplative pause. She then passed by a corkboard with crude drawings of herself, Kyouko Sakura and Nagisa Momoe pinned on and she smiled, "Yes - you could say that I do."

"Is Nagisa-chan at home?" Michi then asked, "I didn't get the chance to see her during the festival."

"Oh, that little child loves going off on her own. She was zipping around the fairgrounds yesterday, so I'm glad she didn't get wet during the sudden storm." Mami laughed with empathy, "Nagisa-chan's actually at my neighbor Burnham-san's place just a few doors down. She pretty much went on a sleepover there with Burnham-san's friend Larivenko-san, so she should be back before lunch."

"Burnham-san… and Larivenko-san?" Michi remarked, remembering those names rather well.

Before Michi could say anything else, however, they reached the spacious and cozy living room of the maisonette. At the heart of the room, there was a triangular, glass coffee table already flourished with fancy teacups and a three-tiered ceramic rack laden with small cookies and sweets for high tea.

There, the two girls found Kyouko Sakura, wearing her usual teal hoodie over a black tank top and ripped denim shorts. The red-haired sophomore was already busy stuffing her mouth with cookies, pausing only to whisper muffled praises to Mami and to gulp down some tea to wash it all down. Homura Akemi, on the other hand, wore a soft purple cardigan over a plain white top and was quietly sipping her tea with a pensive silence.

The black-haired sophomore noticed the newcomers first. Her eyes met with Elise's, but neither Homura nor Elise could maintain contact for long. They promptly turned away from each other and Homura's eyes now met Michi's. The Japanese freshman looked sternly into Homura's eyes, chagrining her in silence. Homura heaved a sigh, set aside her teacup then stood up.

Kyouko, still with a cookie in her mouth, noticed the newcomers too and sprung up as well. She wolfed down the cookie then grinned at Michi and Elise. However, she too soon felt the odd tension that had formed and was at a loss. She didn't know what was going on.

Homura then brought her hands to her sides and gave Michi and Elise a deep bow as she apologized,

"I'm sorry for my improper attitude towards the two of you yesterday, Michi, Duramayue-san. I cannot expect your forgiveness right away - but you have my heartfelt apologies."

Kyouko was getting flabbergasted now, realizing that she had been snacking in the middle of a minefield. Mami, on the other hand, watched the scene with a knowing calmness.

"I appreciate your gesture, Akemi-san." Elise gracefully bowed as well, "It may take some time, but I hope we can repair the bridge between us."

"Yes, of course." Homura said as the two of them straightened up again, "After all, if Michi brought you here - then that means..."

"I want to be a Puella Magi again, just like Michi." Elise then said firmly, laying a hand on her chest, "I want to fight at her side."

"You do understand what this means, right?" Homura said as she showed Elise the back of her left hand and the silver ring that she wore on her middle finger, "These rings are binding contracts for a lifetime of fighting - a miracle and a curse." She then cast a challenging glare at Elise and said, "You've already had a miracle granted to you in the past, so you would be taking on a new curse for nothing in return."

"... what are they talking about?" Kyouko commented curiously. The spear-fighter's head was already spinning, "Already had a miracle…?"

Mami sauntered over to Kyouko's side and quietly hushed her. Mami, after all, knew very well what Homura was talking about.

"Hideyoshi-san and De Lamarliere-san…" Mami whispered to Kyouko, "They were Puella Magi during the Second World War."

"Eh…? How is that…?" Kyouko tried to say, but Mami placed a pointer finger over Kyouko's lips.

"Just listen for now, Sakura-san." Mami whispered again, this time with empathy, "I was just as surprised as you are when I first heard about it."

"Michi and I have made up our minds." Elise then replied to Homura's challenge, "Michi and I have been asleep for more than a century, but we never stopped being Puella Magi." The French girl then spoke firmly, "So allow us to fulfill our duties as Puella Magi again - to fight alongside our sisters in magic in the name of hope..."

Elise then paused and glanced straight into Homura's eyes as she added,

"... and in the name of mercy."

Homura paused and returned Elise's glance with her own. The time-traveler looked for even the slightest hint of malice or venom, but she couldn't find any.

"Very well." Homura said with finality as she dug her hand into the pocket of her cardigan and fished out a peculiar silver ring. She brought the ring up to Elise for her to see. This was Elise's Soul Gem in ring form - there was no doubt about it. Elise recalled every detail of the ring, from the lilac gem that shone brightly in the sun and the lily and willow engravings that stretched out like the Rhine.

'You had that ring with you all this time…?' was what Elise wanted to ask, but she held her tongue.

"This is… my ring?" Elise asked instead, feigning innocence as she approached Homura.

"Yes - this is the sign that you once were, and will become again, a Puella Magi." Homura confirmed as she brought the ring up to the level of Elise's eyes, "This is your last chance to walk away from this, Elise de Lamarliere of Strasbourg. Take this ring and, like Michi, your new contract will be sealed." The time-traveler then glanced at Mami and Kyouko, then at Michi as she added, "You and Michi will answer to me, and the five of us will work together."

"Together…" Elise remarked thoughtfully as she eyed the ring and recalled all the memories - good and bad - that she had made for almost two centuries coalesce in the lilac gem shining before her. She then gathered herself and took the ring, carefully placing it on the middle finger of her left hand.

The lilac gem on Elise's ring glowed as she transformed it into its gem form, taking the shape of a bright, lilac egg wrapped in a golden cage. Just as she was watching her gem, she noticed Michi transform her ring to its gem form and raised it up with solidarity.

"This is our decision, Homura-san." Michi said as she stood by Elise's side, "Let's hunt Wraiths together."

As Michi and Elise waited for Homura's answer, Mami too brought out her Soul Gem and held it out. Kyouko, though she was still confused, realized what was going on and followed suit. Homura saw the four Soul Gems shining brightly before her and a rare, earnest smile formed on her lips.

"All are in favor." Homura then said as she also transformed her ring into its gem form - the menacing, black-caged gem that seemed to shine more brightly than everyone else's. She raised that gem up in approval and then happily said, "Welcome Michi, Duramayue-san. From this day forward, the two of you will be part of the Mitakihara Quintet."

* * *

**Thirty-fourth Act, First Movement - The Mitakihara Quintet**

After the girls got settled down at Mami's spacious living room, their happy host brought two new pillows for the newcomers and set them at the triangular coffee table. Mami then kindly had Michi and Elise sit down with them for tea and snacks. As the golden-haired senior poured the newcomers their cups of tea, she smiled at them and started,

"The five of us already know each other - but I believe some introductions are still in order." Mami said as she then flourished Michi's and Elise's plates with cookies and slices of lemon chiffon cake, "This is the first time the five of us are meeting as Puella Magi after all." Mami then stole a glance at the time-traveler who was quietly sipping her tea and asked, "What do you think, Akemi-san?"

"That should be fine. I'll start things off, then." Homura said as she set down her tea and faced the two newcomers. She chose her words and cleared her throat before she spoke, "I'm Homura Akemi and I'm the leader of this Wraith-hunting group. I specialize in time magic, so I can temporarily suspend everything around me for a short period of time." The time-traveler then thoughtfully rubbed the purple gem of her ring as she said, "I use conventional firearms and explosives to fight my enemies most of the time, but my main weapon is a magical bow and arrow. That's all for me."

It was a curt introduction from Homura, but Mami expected no less from their mysterious, time-traveler leader. Mami wore a satisfied smile and nodded as she took her seat beside Kyouko. She took a sip of her tea first then turned to Michi and Elise.

"I'm Mami Tomoe and I'm Akemi-san's second in command. That means that she isn't around to lead a battle, I'll take charge." The golden-haired senior then laid her hands on the table, showing the newcomers the golden gem that adorned her ring, "In battle, I use magical flintlock rifles to fight our enemies. I can lengthen the barrel on the spot for long-range engagements, and I can cut it down to pistol-length in tight spaces." The smile on Mami's lips then grew wider with pride as she said, "I also have a special attack that I like to call ' Tiro Finale'!"

"Tiro… Finale…?" Elise tilted her head, "Italian?"

"Yes - Italian." Mami confirmed with a happy nod, "It sounds cool, doesn't it? I've taken it upon myself to name everyone's special moves." A crafty grin then formed on her lips as she turned to Kyouko and said, "I haven't figured one out for Akemi-san yet, but Sakura-san already has a name for hers."

"Ungh… not this again…" Kyouko promptly groaned, hiding her embarrassed face behind a cookie.

"Sakura-senpai has a special move too?" Michi then curiously asked.

Kyouko then planted her free hand on her face and sighed.

"Yeah, I do." Kyouko grumbled as she bit the cookie in half and proceeded to wolf it down, "It's illusion magic that lets me make eight copies of myself and my spear, so Mami calls it… R-Ro…"

Mami's eyes brightened and her hands clenched in anticipation as she waited for Kyouko to speak. The red-haired sophomore grew shy as she finally managed to say it in a stammer,

"R-Rosso… Phantasma."

"Kya~!" Mami squealed with joy, placing her hands as her face seemed to brighten up, "Please do go on, Sakura-san. Introduce yourself."

"F-fine…" Kyouko said, fighting hard to stop blushing in front of the newcomers. She cleared her throat and folded her arms as she started, "I'm Kyouko Sakura and i'm a spear fighter." She then managed to wear a small, friendly grin for Michi and Elise as she said, "I can take on any enemy that gets too close for comfort. Oh, and I can make a wall with magical diamond lattices too, so I can hold down the fort pretty damn well."

"Indeed." Mami concurred with an earnest smile, "Akemi-san and I have come to rely on Sakura-san when it comes to melee-fighting, and she has been superb at her job."

"Ehehehe, you really think so?" Kyouko asked now with joy spilling into her tone.

"Of course." Mami nodded happily. She then turned to Michi and Elise and placed her hands together as she spoke, "Now then - its your turn to speak."

"Alright then, I'll go next." Elise volunteered as she adjusted her sitting posture on the pillow, "I'm Elise de Lamarliere and I wield greatswords in battle." The French girl then transformed her ring into its gem form then placed it on the table, "I don't have many fancy skills or abilities, but I do wear a full breastplate with metal gauntlets, and I can use both to great effect. I'm not the fastest magi, but my armor can take a beating and I repay it tenfold with my blade and my fists. That's all I can think of."

She then turned to Michi and gave her a gentle nudge. The Japanese freshman eagerly nodded and began her own spiel.

"I'm Michi Hideyoshi and I use a naginata to fight." Michi said as she looked down into her teacup and watched her own reflection, "I don't have Elise's armor, so I rely on speed and strength to keep enemies at bay. My wooden slippers have helped keep me grounded in tense situations in the past, and they've given my kicks a small boost." She then raised her eyes up to the other magi around her and said, "I can summon a blooming cherry blossom tree to appear with magic then use its petals like daggers flying in the wind."

"Oh… that's interesting, you two!" Mami hummed as she imagined Michi and Elise in action, "I'd like to see those powers in battle soon."

"I'm sure we'll have the chance to do just that." Homura then said, speaking for the first time in a while, "The Wraith attacks have been growing more frequent and more severe as of late, so having two additional magi on our side is a blessing." The time-traveler then gave Michi and Elise an appraising gaze, "But in the last battle, the two of them barely survived against a few Wraiths."

"Their powers have only just been reawakened after all." Mami then sighed, "It can't be helped."

"Which is why we'll need to get Michi and Duramayue-san back to fighting form." Homura concluded. The time-traveler then turned to Kyouko and said, "Since the two of them are melee fighters, I'll be putting them under your care, Kyouko."

"... me?" Kyouko gasped in disbelief. Her eyes widened and the cookie she had been nibbling fell from her mouth as she couldn't help but beam brightly at the two newcomers, "I… I get to be Michi's and Elise's mentor?" She then whirled around to face Mami and wrapped her in a tight, one-armed hug, "Alright! Did'ya hear that!? I'm going to be a mentor for once!"

"I heard it loud and clear, Sakura-san, and I'm happy for you - but why are you hugging me?" Mami was confused, but she smiled as Kyouko locked her tightly in her arms.

"Ehehe, because I want to show my mentor how much I've grown since then." Kyouko grinned at Mami, causing the golden-haired gunner to blush. Michi and Elise snickered as the scene unfolded before them, but Kyouko quickly snapped at them,

"We may all be friends now, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna go easy on y'all in training, y'hear?"

Michi and Elise turned to each other first then gave Kyouko eagerly sharp salutes,

"We'll do our best, Sakura-taichou!"

"Whoa… calling me 'taichou' all of the sudden. The two of you're pretty militaristic, huh?" Kyouko was surprised by the gesture at first. She then laughed self-deprecatingly as she recalled that these two girls had lived in and fought through the Second World War. So, Kyouko grinned at her two new wards and said, "Let's get this party started then!"

* * *

**Thirty-fourth Act, Second Movement - The View From The Train's Lovely Innit'?**   
_May 3, 2088 - Monday_

Early the next morning, just as the sun was about to rise, Michi and Elise were standing at the _Hanasou_ 's stone bridge in their school tracksuits and sneakers. The two girls were also carrying their blue, rectangular school bags and their gym bags in tow. Michi checked her WristComm for the time and hummed,

"Kyouko-senpai said that she would be meeting us here at around this time." Michi said as she looked around the dawn-swept terracotta-tiled path, "She remembered that she called us out for training, right?" She then looked at the two bags she was carrying and said, "She even told us to bring all our things like this."

"Mami said that Sakura-san's a heavy sleeper." Elise said as she stretched her arms then pulled back her elbows, "She also said that Sakura-san wasn't much of a morning person, so…"

Just as Elise was speaking, she and Michi noticed two red blurs flying towards them at breakneck speed. The two girls each caught one and saw that they were bright red fuji apples.

"Ya thought I'd sleep in, huh? Well, I brought you guys breakfast instead!" Kyouko Sakura's proud voice echoed from the east of the bridge, coming from atop the canopies of the green cherry blossom trees, "Here's the deal you two - it's almost half past six and we're going on a long-range patrol. We're gonna do recon on every district of Mitakihara and Kasamino, then we're gonna make it back to school in time!"

"Huh? But school starts in two hours." Elise complained, pointing to her WristComm in protest, "Even if we take the bus, we won't get back here till noon!"

"Ehehe, but we're not gonna take the bus, Elise-senpai." Kyouko snickered as she squatted down on the canopy and gestured to her two wards, "Mami does this every day and she always makes it to school in time. She even has time to take a shower at school and fix that crazy hair of hers for crying out loud!"

"But you haven't actually done a morning patrol yourself, haven't you, Sakura-san?" Elise then knowingly challenged.

"Urk…" Kyouko grunted. She had been found out. Kyouko gathered herself and grinned at Michi and Elise and said, "Then that means we're going to be learning together here. Now get your asses up on this tree and let's get going! The sun's gonna rise soon, and I don't want to parade my bedhead in broad daylight!"

"I guess there's no helping it." Michi then said with a defeated smile. She hopped onto the ledge of the stone bridge then leapt as high as she could, landing handily on the canopy of the nearest cherry blossom tree, "Come on, Elise."

Elise heaved a sigh and followed suit and she landed on a branch next to the one Michi was standing on. The French girl spread her arms out as she tried to keep herself balanced on the tree branch. Elise nearly slipped, but Michi caught her hand before she totally lost balance

"How are you able to stay balanced like this…!?" Elise wondered as Michi effortlessly stood on her branch.

"My sister Matsuri-chan and I used to play on top of our the high walls around our home." Michi said with a small, albeit proud smile, "Balance comes naturally to me."

"It's been 149 years since we met and you're still full of surprises…" Elise chuckled as she too managed to even out her footing.

"Hey there you lovebirds! You haven't forgotten about me now, have you!?" Kyouko shouted impatiently now from her tree in the distance, "If you could flirt and hold hands while getting over here, then that would be great."

"Says the girl who clings onto Mami every chance she gets." Elise then whispered to Michi.

"What was that now?" Kyouko then asked from afar.

"Nothing!" Michi and Elise said in perfect sync, chuckling as they carefully hopped onto the next branch.

Michi and Elise hopped forward one branch at a time. With every branch they crossed, the faster and more graceful their movements became - as if their bodies were starting to remember their experiences during the Second World War. The two of them reached Kyouko's tree before long and the three of them began their long-range patrol of the entire Greater Mitakihara Area.

Kyouko hopped a tree or two ahead of her two wards and spoke to them through telepathy as they pressed forward.

"I'm sure the two of you remember when you first became Puella Magi." Kyouko said telepathically as she munched on an apple mid-flight, "You know in your mind and your heart that you have magical powers, but your body doesn't get the concept right away." The red-haired spear fighter then leapt up high and landed with pointed toes on top of the first car of a commuter train running on an elevated rail, "So you gotta teach your body that the things that you can and cannot do have changed."

Michi and Elise hurried up and leapt onto the train as well. They managed to land on the fourth and last car of the train and felt the wind against their faces. The two girls struggled forward against the wind and soon managed to rejoin Kyouko on top of the first car. By then, the two girls were struggling to catch their breath and were brought down to their knees by their tired legs.

From where they knelt on top of the train, however, they had a moving panoramic view of Mitakihara City and the Kasamino hillside.

"This is the town the two of you volunteered to protect. Pretty, innit'?" Kyouko then said as she sat down with her two wards and bit into a second apple, "So eat well, keep training and work your asses off so you can protect everyone here. If you keep at it, you two will be in fighting form in no time!"

Urged by Kyouko, the two girls ate their apples as well as they let the train from one district to the next. When they finished, the sophomore spear-fighter stood up then reached out to her two wards and asked,

"Ready for the next round?"

Michi and Elise nodded, then let Kyouko raise them up. The three of them then hopped off the train and continued the next leg of their patrol. Still finding their footing during the patrol, Michi, Elise and Kyouko ran into all sorts of trouble and mishaps along the way. They got lost more than once, hitched rides on the wrong trains and very nearly crossed into Tokyo City to the north. It was a frantic struggle for the three at every turn.

By the time the three of them managed to return to the school, the gates were already closed and classes were just about to start. The student council president, Noe Ogasawara, was already standing at the gate and tapping her feet impatiently. She even had three tardy slips already waiting for the trio.

"Sorry!" The three girls apologized with deep bows as they took their tardy slips from Ogasawara and let her book them for demerits. After a short lecture about tardiness, the council president finally let them pass.

"I haven't had a workout like this in a long while…" Michi said with a dizzy spell as she clung onto Elise for support, "I thought my lungs were going to give out!"

"I'll need a bath to wash off this sweat and soot… and I need to fix my hair too." Elise then groaned as she felt her wavy hair droop lazily before her eyes, "There's no way in hell I'm going to class looking like this!"

"We'll need to work on our pacing then… and my directions." Kyouko told her winded wards, panting heavily herself as the three of them trod forward with lead feet, "We'll do better tomorrow, yeah?"

"Y-yes ma'am…" Michi and Elise said with deflated tones - a far cry from the sharp, military-like salutes they gave Kyouko only yesterday. The determination that burned in their hearts, however, didn't wane.

For the rest of the week, and the week after that, Michi and Elise followed this routine. They were greeted by Kyouko Sakura before sunrise with a surprise volley of fuji apples - their breakfast - and proceeded to go on their early morning long-range patrol. The patrol was tiring and arduous as usual, but the three of them got further and with less scrapes and bruises and much fewer mistakes than the day before. All the while, Kyouko Sakura would watch her wards with great pride.

In the evenings, Michi and Elise would follow Kyouko, Mami and Homura on their night patrols. More often than not, miasma tended to form during the evening and the night patrols would turn into full-fledged Wraith hunts. Michi and Elise were ordered by Homura to stand back and watch the battle from a distance. The two of them watched the battles in awe as the original Mitakihara Trio crushed the tall and lanky Wraiths that opposed them. In the rare times that a strange, spear-wielding Wraith appeared, Michi and Elise had the pleasure to see both Mami's 'Tiro Finale' and Kyouko's 'Rosso Phantasma' in action.

Sometimes, Mami and Kyouko would stand back to back in battle, join hands, then unleash their special attacks together, and it was a magnificent sight.

"Tiro Phantasma!" The gunner and the spear-fighter would cry in tandem. Kyouko's illusion magic fused with Mami's magical cannon, creating seven copies that were aimed at the strangely stubborn and menacing Wraith. The eight cannons would fire together and wipe the Wraith off the face of the earth in a magnificent spectacle of light.

After a battle, all five of them would gather at Mami's house for a spot of tea and and to share their spoils of war. As Mami and Kyouko fondly recounted the battle they just fought, Michi and Elise wondered when they too would be prepared for battle again.

Then, on a bright and cloudless Sunday morning, the two of them got their chance.

* * *

**Thirty-fourth Act, Third Movement - Fioro Magnifico**

_May 16, 2088 - Sunday_

It was 3AM in the early morning when Elise de Lamarliere found herself laying in her bed in Room 308 in the _Hanasou_ Dormitory. The French girl was unable to sleep as she watched the silver moonlight that flowed in from the window starting to wane. The long and restless night would soon bow out and the sun would reclaim its place in the heavens. Then, Michi and Elise would sally off on their long-range patrol with Kyouko Sakura once more.

Elise then raised her left hand out before her and looked at the silver ring that she now wore on her middle finger. Two weeks had passed since Homura Akemi restored her powers, but everything had been relatively peaceful since then. The Greater Mitakihara Area, along with the few dozen tenants of the _Hanasou_ dorm woke up in the morning and went to bed at night. Only the occasional Wraith attach stirred the pot, but they always occurred during the evenings between six and eight at night. It was almost like clockwork - as if the Wraith attacks themselves had been scheduled by a higher power.

The French girl looked at her ring with a spiteful glare. She had an idea who this 'higher power' might be. This peaceful status quo was what this 'higher power' wanted more than anything else, but Elise couldn't figure out why. What's more, Elise noticed that Sayaka Miki had been scarce lately - and Elise hasn't seen a single Incubator since coming to Mitakihara.

"What exactly is going on…?" Elise muttered as she clenched her hands into fists.

As she was thinking about this, she noticed the lilac gem of her ring flicker ominously. The wan moonlight that was pouring in through the window just moments ago also grew dull as a strange haze seemed to form outside. Elise then heard her roommate stir in the bed beside hers.

"Elise…" Michi then croaked in a groggy voice as she put on her silver ring, "You feel it too, don't you?"

"Yeah… at this unholy hour..." Elise said as she sprang out of bed and looked behind the curtains, "It's miasma - and it's forming really thick. I can hardly see anything."

"Let's go to the roof and see what we're dealing with." Michi proposed as she also hopped out of bed. She went over to the other window and opened it, "We can't make a ruckus in the halls, so let's climb here."

"Got it." Elise agreed. She picked up the Hideyoshi family katana and tied its scabbard around her waist. The two girls then crawled out their bedroom window and climbed up to the _Hanasou_ dorm's rooftop.

Standing at the edge, they gasped as the epicenter of the miasma seemed to be just outside the _Hanasou_ itself. If they didn't drive out the Wraiths soon, the miasma would encircle the _Hanasou_ dorm and everyone sleeping inside would be in terrible danger.

A frightening question then surfaced in their minds: can they fend off the Wraiths - let alone defeat them - by themselves?

Michi gritted her teeth and brought up the WristComm device on her and contacted the other members of the Mitakihara Quintet in a conference call. Homura answered first, quickly followed by Mami then a half-awake Kyouko. The time-traveler leader asked Michi what was going on. Michi promptly sent them a snapshot of the hazy scene.

"... what in the world…" Homura seemed surprised, "This wasn't supposed to…"

"What was that, Akemi-san?" Mami asked, wondering what Homura seemed to be going on about.

"Never mind… I was just thinking that it's unusual for Wraiths to attack this late." Homura explained grimly, "Michi, Duramayue-san… is there any way for you to evacuate the residents of the _Hanasou_?"

"Negative. The stone bridge is our only way out - and the epicenter is blocking the exit." Michi shook her head, "Give us your instructions, Homura-san."

"Prepare for battle." Homura then declared, "Delay the Wraiths until we arrive and keep them from going anywhere near the _Hanasou_ Dormitory. Miasma that thick could only mean that one of those strange Wraiths - the _Shugen_ Wraith - might appear too, so stay on your toes!" The time-traveler then said, "And Michi - I'm putting you in charge of this battle. Show them what you and Duramayue-san are made of!"

"Roger that - over and out!" Michi replied firmly as she turned off her WristComm device and turned to companion, "You heard them, Elise. We're not going to let a single Wraith get through us." Her expression then grew dire as she said, "We're not going to let anyone down again!"

"I had no plans of letting anyone down, Michi." Elise then said confidently as she looked at Michi straight in the eyes. An encouraging smile then formed on her lips as she said, "These are the times when we shine the brightest, no?"

Michi returned the smile and then transformed her ring into its Soul Gem form as she asked, "Shall we blind them with light, then?"

Elise followed suit and brought her Soul Gem close to her heart. The two girls then faced the menacing miasma spreading all around them and watched the Wraiths emerging from the ethereal veil. Michi and Elise stood firmly together and their Soul Gems shone brightly like stars in the night sky. The lights of their gems soon wrapped around the two girls and transformed their pajamas into their Puella Magi attires.

A dark blue kimono covered Michi and tied itself snugly around her as morning glory patterns stitched themselves onto the magical silk garb. Sturdy wooden slippers hewn from a grand cherry blossom tree took the place of her flip flops. Michi combed her unkempt hair with her hand and her magic tied her black locks into a neat bun, held in place by her silver kanzashi pin - and the willow-branch hair ornament that now hung from it. She then raised her hand up to the sky and produced her cherry wood naginata, catching the polearm skillfully in midair.

Elise meanwhile spread out her arms and her top transformed into a rough white tunic, followed by the full metal breastplate of a French knight etched intricately with golden trimmings and fleurs-de-lis on the pauldrons. A lilac skirt bloomed beneath the breastplate that reached down to her knees, along with tall, steel-tipped, leather boots. The Hideyoshi family katana and the scabbard that she brought with her remained at her side, but she still reached forward and summoned her magical weapon - a heavy greatsword engraved with lilies and a winding river.

"Your orders, Michi?" Elise then asked as she rested the edge of her greatsword on her shoulder.

Michi watched the movements of the Wraiths forming their ranks at the bridge. There was about sixty of them now, but there was no sign of a strange 'Shugen' Wraith among them.

"We're only supposed to delay them, but if it's the two of us..." The naginata-wielder started as her grip on her weapon tightener. She then cried, "Then let's drive them back to hell!"

At Michi's signal, the two girls hopped off of the _Hanasou_ 's rooftop with their weapons drawn and glided towards the unprepared Wraiths at breakneck speed. Michi's naginata and Elise's greatsword flew with their wielders and tore through the Wraiths' ranks, slaying four Wraiths before they even touched the ground. Michi's wooden slippers and Elise's boots ground against the terracotta tiles of the tree-lined path as they both came to a halt, forming a cloud of dust.

The remaining Wraiths watched emotionlessly as their four comrades burst into black soot and dropped Grief Cubes in their wake. The Wraiths all then turned to the cloud of thick dust and started pointing the fingers of their right hands toward it. The fingers of the Wraiths glowed, ready to fire beams of black corruption at the two magi. However, Michi and Elise sprung forward and started to relentlessly assault their ranks.

Michi and Elise hacked and slashed their way through the Wraiths disrupting their dark fusilades and driving their ranks into chaos. Thrown again into battle, Michi's and Elise's instincts kicked in and their hands that were trembling just a while ago became unusually calm. They spoke to each other through telepathy as if it were second nature and fought their foes in a calm dance that grew more and more graceful and violent with every step they took. The two girls darted and weaved between Wraiths as they struck, forcing the Wraiths to shoot their beams at each other.

Michi dueled with the Wraiths, tearing limbs and torsos in half with precise swipes of her naginata. Elise, on the other hand, shattered her foes with powerful strikes and overpowered them with sheer strength. They would fight foes in bursts then retreat a while together to heal their wounds and cleanse their gems. Then, they would spring back into action and begin their dance anew.

Dozens of Wraiths fell in a couple of minutes in that beautiful chaos. Dozens more soon followed as Michi and Elise remembered how to dance to the magical tune they knew from a long time ago. To the two girls, it was nostalgic.

Soon enough, as the girls continued their relentless assault, the miasma receded away from the _Hanasou_ dormitory and back to the tree-lined path. The two girls managed to defeat the sixty lanky Wraiths that assembled on the path, but the miasma still remained ominously thick. Michi and Elise stood close together, watching their surroundings with what limited vision they had.

It was at this time that a pillar of flame suddenly burst from the terracotta tiles. A flaming spear thrust through the earth, pulling up the menacing body of the large and fearsome 'Shugen' Wraith. This wasn't the first time that they came face to face with a Shugen Wraith, but it wasn't any less terrifying than before. This time around, however, neither Michi nor Elise were afraid of it.

As the two of them squared off against their towering foe and its flaming spear, Michi and Elise stood with unyielding stances. They were going to fight - and they had no intention to lose.

The Shugen Wraith's skull-like face turned to its two opponents, unfamiliar with the costumes or their weaponry. Nonetheless, the creature moaned a deep and menacing moan as it pointed its flaming spear at the gem of the kanzashi pin that tied Michi's hair. Then, without warning, the Shugen Wraith thrust its flaming spear and traced a line of raging fire through the air. Elise nonchalantly stepped between Michi and the Wraith then parried the flaming spear with the flat of her greatsword.

Sparks of lilac flew as steel clashed against steel, but Elise's greatsword stopped the Shugen Wraith's spear in its tracks. The Shugen Wraith groaned angrily and pushed against Elise's force, but the French girl resisted like an unmoving rock. She dug her steel-tipped boots into the ground and pushed back against the Shugen Wraith's force until they reached a standstill.

The skull-shaped head of the Shugen Wraith then opened and revealed its geometric inner head. All of the sudden, the searing heat of the flaming spear turned oppressive as its flame turned blue. The flame spread around Michi and Elise like a wall and the Shugen Wraith's strength grew fourfold.

Elise grunted as cracks started to form on the tiles beneath her feet. She then turned to her partner behind her then cried, "Michi!"

"Ready!" Michi barked back as she coiled her legs like springs and held her naginata tightly. She then leapt as high as she could and flew over the wall of flame. As she descended, Michi found her opening and trained her naginata down towards the Shugen Wraith's spear-hand. Michi's naginata cut deep and severed the Wraith's spear-hand at the wrist, dispelling the wall of flame and forcefully disarming the creature's spear.

In a split second, Elise lowered her head and dashed forward towards the Shugen Wraith's dismembered hand. She roared fiercely then followed through with a powerful backhand swing of her greatsword. The dismembered hand shattered into pixels and black soot as the Wraith's now handless arm pulled away in pain. The Wraith itself hovered back and moaned in agony as it tried to gather itself, hiding behind a thick veil of miasma.

Michi landed on her feet behind Elise and the two of them briskly scooped up the Grief Cubes that now littered the floor. They pressed their backs against each other and, with handsful of Grief Cubes, cleansed each other's gems. Elise' held cubes up to the paulownia-shaped gem enshrined in Michi's hairpin while the Japanese girl set cubes down by the fleur-de-lis shaped gem at the back of Elise's right gauntlet.

Michi landed behind Elise and the two of them briskly scooped up Grief Cubes from their earlier foes off of the floor. They pressed their backs against each other and, with a handful of Grief Cubes in each hand, cleansed each other's gems. Elise's left hand held cubes up to the paulownia-shaped gem enshrined in Michi's hairpin. Michi's right hand, meanwhile, held cubes down by the fleur-de-lis-shaped gem at the back of Elise's right gauntlet. All the while, the two girls held their weapons firmly and kept an eye out for their shrouded foe.

The girls felt a rumble in the ground and frantic shifting in the air around them. The miasma grew transparent and the girls' foe revealed itself. However, the flaming spear was floating above the ground with a life of its own and the Shugen Wraith's detached hand strayed from the main body and clenched into a white-knuckled fist. Then, in the corner of their eyes, the girls saw the Shugen Wraith's geometric inner head shifting around as the creature's dismembered hand started to grow back.

The Shugen Wraith didn't wait for its hand to heal and sent its flaming spear and detached fist flying towards Michi and Elise. It was a pincer attack - just as the two girls had expected. Michi and Elise tossed their spent Grief Cubes aside and jumped away from the spear and the fist in the nick of time. The flaming spear then impaled the Shugen Wraith's own fist and lit it ablaze, drawing an ear-shattering shriek from the once powerful creature.

Elise promptly helped Michi back up to her feet and they watched their foe writhing in pain. Still, it wouldn't take long for the tenacious Shugen Wraith to pull itself together and rebuild itself from scratch. They had to kill it in one fell swoop.

"Shall we end this now?" Elise asked as she drove her greatsword's blade down into the terracotta path. She then turned to Michi with a smile and said, "It will be just like old times."

"Let's end it." Michi nodded as she then handed Elise her naginata with a smile, saying, "I'll be in your care."

Elise gave the naginata a playful whirl then set the flat of its blade on the pommel of her greatsword. Michi hopped up and landed on the flat of her naginata's blade with pointed toes. Elise then pulled the naginata up with a powerful tug and launched Michi gracefully up into the bright dawn sky.

Michi spread her arms out wide as she spun around in the air, controlling her ascent with the agility of an acrobat until she was completely upside down. All the while, Elise picked up her greatsword with her free hand and focused her energies into the two weapons she held. The blade of her greatsword in her left hand and the blade of the naginata in her right hand glowed with bright lilac light. Then with both weapons in tow, Elise charged the Shugen Wraith's skewered hand to finish it off.

Up above, the upside-down Michi balanced herself midair and started to spin around gracefully as if she were standing on solid ground. Her motions spread out the hem of her blue kimono which fluttered in the wind like the upper half of an hourglass. Turquoise blue lights gathered around the spinning Michi, transforming into pink cherry blossom petals and multiplying with every graceful turn. The cherry blossoms then swooped down to the ground and struck the Shugen Wraith's hand, following the movements of the naginata in Elise's hand.

Elise, meanwhile, mirrored Michi's midair dance as she swung both the naginata and the greatsword with fascinating skill. The French girl smiled as the petals came swooping down to her aid like a swarm of sharp, pink and fragrant daggers. Elise danced circles around the dismembered hand like a whirling dervish and let her skirt flutter and puff into the shape of the bottom half of an hourglass. In mere seconds, the skewered hand burst into a cloud of white pixels and black soot and the flaming spear was shattered into jagged pieces.

The cherry blossoms continued to accumulate, now numbering tens of thousands swirling around the two halves of the hourglass. Michi and Elise ceased their mirrored pirouettes and then turned their attention to the Shugen Wraith's geometric inner head.

This was their chance! Elise quickly hurled Michi's naginata skyward towards it owner and traced a line of lilac light through the air. The cherry blossoms all followed the naginata and congregated around Michi as she caught her weapon. Meanwhile, Elise whipped her hand forward and summoned a second greatsword as she steeled her stance. The French girl slammed the edges of her blades eagerly onto the ground. Then, Michi roared,

"Now!"

At that signal, Michi Hideyoshi swooped down with her naginata and traced a new line of lilac light along with her. The tens of thousands of cherry blossom petals swirled eagerly around her in her descent as she closed in on the Shugen Wraith's exposed head. Elise, on the other hand, dragged both her blades through the terracotta tiles of the path and then swung upwards, cutting into the Shugen Wraith's torso.

The attacks connected simultaneously and tore through the Shugen Wraith until the blade of Michi's naginata struck the blade of Elise's greatsword. The strike sparked a pillar of blinding blue and lilac light that tore through the Shugen Wraith and disintegrated it completely. When the light dissipated, dozens of Grief Cubes fell to the floor with glassy dings, followed by the peaceful descent of cherry blossom petals around them.

In the midst of the downpour of pink, Michi landed gracefully on the ground facing Elise. The girl in the blue kimono dissolved her naginata and gave a deep and respectful bow. The French knight likewise dissolved her greatswords and replied with a thankful curtsy.

* * *

**Second Interlude**

Just as the two girls straightened up, they heard footsteps coming from behind. Michi and Elise turned around and they saw Mami and Kyouko arriving with their weapons in tow. The two of them looked as if they had hurried to support Michi and Elise, but the naginata-wielder and the knight won a resounding victory on their own. Mami and Kyouko saw Michi and Elise standing victoriously in the midst of a sea of Grief Cubes ripe for the taking.

"Impressive, you two!" Mami applauded as she approached Michi and Elise, "Sakura-san and I came as fast as we could, but it seems the two of you turned out to be gifted hunters as well.." The golden-haired gunner then brightened up and said, "I also had the pleasure of seeing the two of you work together."

Mami then turned to the spear fighter at her side and smirked as she said,

"It seems Sakura-san might have the knack of teaching others after all." The gunner's smile then mellowed into a genuine one for Kyouko and said, "I'm proud of you all."

"Ehehehe… it's kinda embarrasin' if you put me in the spotlight like this, Mami." Kyouko laughed uncomfortably, but she then sprung forward and caught Michi and Elise in a hearty embrace, "But hell yeah, i'm proud of you guys!"

"K-Kyouko-senpai…" Michi grunted as she and Elise struggled in Kyouko's arms, "I can't breathe!"

"Suck it up, Michi- _kouhai_." Kyouko teased as she gave Michi a one-handed noogie, "You used to be a Puella Magi in the Second World War! A nice ole' glomp ain't gonna kill ya!"

Michi and Elise had no choice but to let Kyouko hug them till she was satisfied. The two of them soon joined in on the laughter as Mami happily approached them with a question,

"Speaking of killing - the way the two of you took down the Shugen Wraith…" Mami's eyes then turned to Michi's and Elise's as she continued, "That was a combination attack wasn't it?"

"No, no, no… don't entertain her, you two." Kyouko warned, trying to shield her two wards without letting them go, "If you do, you're not going to hear the end of it!"

"Would you allow me to give a name for your combination attack?" Mami said regardless, bypassing Kyouko with a smile. She then wrestled Michi and Elise from Kyouko's clutches then gave her suggestion, "De Lamarliere-san's attack was like a magnificent flood of attacks, so maybe something like 'Deluvio Magnifico'. Hideyoshi-san's attack was a powerful wind of petals, so 'Vento Fioro." She then proudly smiled at the two girls and took the both of them by the hand and suggested, "What about 'Fioro Magnifico'?"

"That… actually doesn't sound half-bad!" Elise said, seemingly impressed by the name.

"Ehhh…?" Kyouko raised her brow in confusion then pointed to Mami beside her with her thumb, "Now Mami here's gonna expect you two to say those fancy Italian names during battle."

"WE DO!?" Michi and Elise quickly realized the mistake they made and turned to Mami to beg for her reconsideration.

"I'll be counting on the two of you then!" Mami smiled unyieldingly as she produced her small notepad and started to write down her new ideas. She then eyed Michi and Elise from behind her notepad and smirked expectantly, "Actually, since the two of you already won - why don't we practice that." Mami then kept her notebook then placed her hands together as she asked, "Could the two of you say 'Fioro Magnifico' for me together, please? I want to hear it just once."

Mami, the second-in-command of the Mitakihara Quintet who was supposed to be like their responsible elder sister, was looking at Michi and Elise with puppy dog eyes. They had no choice but to hesitantly give in.

"F-fioro… m-magnifico."

"Kya~!" Mami squeaked with delight, "One more time please! I have to hear it one more time!"

This lighthearted scene was what Homura Akemi saw when she arrived moments later. Homura was wearing her Puella Magi attire and was already armed to the teeth. Homura was cradling an FN Minimi machine gun with a 200-round box magazine and crossed bandoliers of 5.56mm ammunition. A string of various grenades were wrapped around her waist along with her favorite Beretta 92 pistol holstered by her hip while she wore an RPG-7 rocket launcher by the strap. The laughter and the joyful air between the four girls stood in contrast with the battle-ready Homura.

Homura returned all of her weapons and hid them behind her silver shield before joining her four allies in the path. The sun then started to rise as Homura looked up to the sky as she whispered to herself,

"I guess it's time."

* * *

**Third Interlude**

Half an hour later, Homura Akemi found herself seated in the common dining area of the _Hanasou_ Dormitory with Mami and Kyouko beside her. Michi and Elise were prattling around the kitchen as they hastily whipped up breakfast for five. Michi briskly chopped vegetables and greens while watching a pot of tea whistling on the stove. Elise, meanwhile, kept an eye on the toaster and grilled generous slices of ham and sunny-side-up eggs frying pan all at once.

"The two of them aren't just compatible in the battlefield, huh?" Mami whispered knowingly to Homura, "They know their way around the kitchen as well."

"The two of them have quite a history together after all." Homura then said as she typed in a message on her WristComm and then sent it, "The two of us looked into parts of it before - remember?"

"I know that." Mami reassured as she fondly watched the two girls busy with their cooking, "I'm just glad that we get to have veterans like them at our side." The gunner then sighed as she said, "It's a shame they both fell asleep when the war ended. That means neither of them know what happened between then and now, huh?"

"It's for the better." Homura ran a hand through her hair thoughtfully, "Nothing good came between then and now, after all. The Cold War was an unpleasantness that never went away for more than a century, then disappeared as mysteriously as it came."

"Hey, hey - what're you two talkin' bout?" Kyouko then grinned at the two of them innocently, "You guys studying for history or somethin'?"

"We were just having a chat, Sakura-san." Mami promptly reassured, "Besides, the midterms are still a week away!"

"Urk…" Kyouko's face grew pale, "I… totally forgot about that."

Just as Kyouko's head was drooping low, Elise placed a round plate before her with a magnificent open-top ham-and-egg sandwich with a side of salad. Kyouko's nose widened like a bulls and her spirits returned in an instant.

"Holy shit, you two!" Kyouko said as she swooned over the sandwich, "This looks amazing!"

Michi then followed and poured Kyouko a hot cup of brown rice tea. Kyouko smiled from ear to ear and felt happy tears forming in her eyes, muttering something about her two students growing up so fast. Mami countered with a snide remark, saying that Kyouko was just really hungry from rushing to the _Hanasou_ before the sun rose. Kyouko snickered and raised her hands up in surrender.

Michi and Elise served their breakfast and tea for five and the Mitakihara Quintet had their fill. Once they finished, the knight and the naginata-wielder brought out large pouches and set it on the table with glassy dings.

"Here are the Grief Cubes we collected in the battle earlier." Michi said as she pushed the pouches towards Homura, "Please distribute them as you see fit."

"Keep them, you two." Homura refused as she pushed the pouches back to their owners, "We're a meritocracy here. The two of you earned all of these on your own, so please do keep them." The time-traveler them smiled at the two newcomers and said, "That is also a fitting gift for your first Wraith Hunt, so keep those pouches with pride."

"What Homura here's saying is - welcome again to the team!" Kyouko then grinned as she urged her two wards to take the pouches as well, "You're full-fledged members now - so leave some action for us next time!"

Michi and Elise thankfully took their pouches and the five of them started on their breakfast with gusto. When they finished, Mami and Kyouko excused themselves and returned home with a sixth sandwich that Michi packed for Nagisa. That left Michi, Elise and Homura seated together at the common table.

Even though the two of them already apologized to each other, an air of enmity still lingered whenever the two of them were together. The way that Homura was looking at her and Michi, Elise could tell that Homura was going to ask for another one of her favors.

"Duramayue-san…" Homura then started, "Would it be alright if I borrowed Michi for the afternoon? I need to discuss something with her about the battle and…"

"Very well. I don't need to hear your explanations for this." Elise interrupted Homura as she took a sip of tea, "Knowing you, Akemi-san, you wouldn't say your true intentions until it suits you. So I won't bother." She then laid her hands on the table and said, "But since you're asking for my consent, then I will have you know this - hurt Michi in any way, shape or form and I will throw everything I have at you."

"Quite a discerning one, huh?"Homura snickered with a knowing smirk, "I accept your demands. I have no plans to hurt her, or to be hurt by you." She then turned to Michi and asked, "Now that that's settled, shall we get going?"

* * *

**Epilogue**

At half past nine in the morning, Michi and Homura took a short bus ride to the Mitakihara Central Train Station at the heart of the Eighth District. The usually busy station was mellow that Sunday morning as the throngs of salarymen and women rushing to work on the weekdays were replaced by relaxed streams of young families going on leisurely trips.

"Are we going on a trip too?" Michi titled her head as she watched a young family of four boarding a prefectural line train, "If you wanted to have another talk, the _Hanasou_ kitchen would have been fine."

"Yes, we are going on a trip, Michi. This is the trip that I promised to take you on - remember?" Homura said as she crossed through the turnstiles with Michi, "You wanted to know the truth, so I've decided to show it to you instead." She then turned to Michi behind her and gave a cryptic warning, "You have to ready your heart and see things with your own eyes."

Confused as Michi was, the freshman held her tongue and she followed Homura through the platforms of the ultra-modern train station. They climbed up a pedestrian overpass that crossed over the platforms below. Michi eyed the formless screens and listened to the announcements on the station's PA systems, but she couldn't figure out where Homura was taking her. A myriad of trains were going to and from the station like that Sunday morning but Homura didn't seem to be in a hurry to catch board any of them.

The further down the overpass they walked, the thinner the commuter crowd grew. Then, after a certain point, they crossed over the last platform of the train station and the crowd disappeared completely. The overpass, however, continued and Homura kept on walking. The overpass grew dark as the light from the station's sunroof no longer reached them and they came across a dead end - a blockade of maintenance signs and orange cones. Beyond the blockade was an ominous darkness that stretched out further than the eye could see.

When Michi and Homura approached the barricade, they found the station's chief engineer - a young man in a plain shirt and tie with a white hard hat - standing watch by the maintenance signs. He was whistling a tune as he paced around in the dim stretch of the overpass. The engineer then turned to Michi and Homura and he seemed to be delighted,

"Mistress, I didn't expect to see you here, _noi!_ " The engineer tipped his hard hat to Homura, then to Michi. The two girls returned the gesture with nods as they carried on to the barricade. When Michi got close enough, she saw a pistol holstered by the engineer's hip.

The engineer then proceeded to part the barricade for the two girls, allowing them to pass through. He then wore a sugarcoated smile as he asked, "Would the Mistress' guest like a flashlight?"

"No thank you." Homura said as she brought out her own black-cased Soul Gem, "We don't need those."

Michi followed suit and summoned her turquoise blue Soul Gem. The engineer seemed displeased to see Michi's Soul Gem, but he didn't say a word. Homura's purple gem and Michi's turquoise blue gem illuminated the path as they crossed through the darkness.

"Who was that man?" Michi asked with a raised brow.

"He's a Clara Doll - just like the Principal of the school." Homura said as she urged Michi along, "It's a long story. They are offshoots of my magic and they are my servants in this world." The time-traveler then turned to Michi and held up her gem saying, "For now, watch your step."

The overpass soon led to a precarious, descending spiral staircase made of clay bricks. Michi shone her light down, but she couldn't quite see the bottom from the landing. Michi and Homura started down the spiral staircase and the echoes of the trains shuttling to and from the station's platforms behind them eerily faded away with every step they took. Surrounded by darkness with only their Soul Gems for light, it felt like they were descending into an entirely new dimension.

"Michi, I've already told you this before, but I have been watching you, Elise and all of your friends for a very long time." Homura then started as they walked down, "I've seen your journeys during the Second World War and I'm well acquainted with the horrors you all faced." The time-traveler's Soul Gem then flickered with a sliver of brightness as she spoke, "I witnessed your struggles and your perseverance first hand, so I know full well that you are an honorable person and a fierce fighter. After seeing you and Elise in action these past two weeks, I can confirm my assumptions."

Homura then stopped in her tracks and turned to Michi behind her and said,

"The two of you live up to my expectations. Perhaps you've even surpassed them. The two of you are more wonderful than I thought."

"Expectations? What does that have to do with anything?" Michi asked with a raised brow, "What exactly do you expect of us?"

"I'm sure you've figured it out by now - I am the one who brought you and your friends here to present day Mitakihara." Homura said as she faced forward again and continued walking down the steps, "Naturally, I brought you all here for a reason. At first, I just wanted you all to lead normal lives here in Mitakihara as normal girls." The time-traveler's tone then seemed to mellow as she said, "Then I saw that you and Elise might be able to help me in other ways as well. That's why I welcomed the two of you into the Mitakihara Quintet."

"If that's the case, then why have you been so focused on just me?" Michi challenged, "She's fighting with the Mitakihara Quintet now too, isn't she?"

"That may be so, but I need _your_ help the most, Michi." Homura then said firmly, "After all, you were the Caretaker of the Silver Garden. Elise de Lamarliere was not."

Michi's eyes widened in shock as Homura mentioned her old title. Before Michi could say anything, however, the spiral staircase finally reached a landing and the two Soul Gems illuminated a thick, rusted metal door. Michi approached the door and saw an old bronze placard on it that read 'Yokohama Station - Tengoku Line, 1915'.

"This is…" Michi gasped as she read the placard again, "This is from the original Yokohama Station - the one that was destroyed during the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923."

"I knew you would recognize it. You helped fight the Witch that caused the earthquake, after all." Homura chuckled as she laid her hands on the lever handles of the metal door, "Come, help me open this door."

Michi and Homura opened the rusted door together and the two girls entered the eighth, hidden platform of the Mitakihara Central Station. It was an ancient platform that had been preserved beneath the earth for more almost two centuries, adorned with faded posters and signages from the 1920's and littered with debris. However, there were candles and torches there that started burning as soon as they walked through the door.

Michi walked around the preserved platform and noticed strange, long banners that hung from the walls. They banners were royal purple and carried an intricate design that looked like a Witch's kiss - the same design she saw once before. Seeing the symbol lit a fire in Michi's heart and the freshman's free hand clenched into a fist at her side.

"The train we're taking is going to arrive here soon." Homura then said as she stepped onto the platform with Michi, "I needed you and you alone, Michi, because you are the only one who can help me chart a path forward." Homura then transformed her Soul Gem back to its ring form and said, "Since I am asking for your help, I will need to tell you everything. I need to do my penance and tell… no… show you my sins."

The distinct sound of a train horn then echoed from the tunnel as a train slowed down on its final approach at the platform. A modern, latest-generation _Shinkansen_ train then rolled into the platform before coming to a halt. Homura then turned to Michi and said,

"I'm taking you to the Silver Garden."

**To Be Continued**


	13. Sympathy for the Devil

**Prologue**

Two stories beneath the main platforms of the ultra-modern Mitakihara Central Station, Michi and Homura were standing in the well-preserved, early 20th century platform of the long-defunct Tengoku Line. There, the two girls were waiting for a train that soon rolled into the hidden station. In stark contrast to the ancient platform, a modern, latest-generation, one-car _Shinkansen_ bullet train in dark purple livery rolled into the underground station and came to a halt. The train doors opened with hydraulic hisses that sent dust and bits of debris flying around the platform, forcing Michi to cover her eyes.

Homura raised her hand with a firm swipe through the air and dispersed the dust and debris with magic. Michi lowered her arms and then saw the peculiar figure of the Mitakihara Junior High School student council president, Noe Ogasawara, emerging from the train. Ogasawara gave Homura a fake, sugarcoated smile before turning to Michi with a devious snicker.

"Ohoho, Mistress. You should have told me that you were bringing luggage." Ogasawara said as she gave Michi a high-browed once over from head to toe, "Though you might consider buying some new luggage the next time you go to the mall - this one's older than this forsaken platform!"

"Are you talking about me…?" Michi asked with a low growl, barely able to hold herself back, "What have I done to you, Ogasawara-senpai?"

"Ah! The luggage speaks!" Ogasawara continued her merciless teasing.

"Enough, Ogasawara!" Homura roared now, stepping in between the two. She glared at the student council president and sternly warned, "Step out of line again and I will have the very birds that you tend to tear you to shreds. So treat our guest with the utmost respect - understood?"

"Fine, fine - you're getting boring, _noi_. You were so much cooler back then, noi!" Ogasawara groaned as she heaved a displeased sigh. She then stepped back into the train and gestured the two to enter, speaking with great disinterest, "All aboard the Silver Garden Express. This will be her maiden voyage, _noi_."

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum**

**Sympathy For The Devil**

* * *

**Thirty-fifth Act - Pax Akemi**

Noe Ogasawara grudgingly led Michi and Homura into the one-car _Shinkansen_ train and sat them facing each other by the window. The student council president sat down beside Homura and the train doors closed on their own. Then, the _Shinkansen_ train started to move down the tracks and through an oppressively dark tunnel illuminated by torches of purple flame.

The train picked up speed, moving faster and faster until the subway howl filled the confines of the sole train car and the purple flames they passed by became mere blurs in the window. It was at this time that Homura decided to speak again.

"Michi, I am the deity that rules over this universe." Homura said as she produced her strange, black-cased purple Soul Gem that illuminated the serious expression on her face, "Overseeing the lives of billions of people in our world alone is no easy task, let alone keeping watch over the vastness of space that our planet is drifting through."

The time-traveler thoughtfully let the Soul Gem float on its own power then ran a hand through her hair as she said, "So it's only natural that I spread out the work to capable hands."

"The station engineer you met earlier, the school principal and Ogasawara here are some of the 'Clara Dolls' that I told you about. They are my boots on the ground - the ones who live among the people of the world and shape it according to my will. They keep the gears of this infinite mess running smoothly."

Homura continued as she turned to Ogasawara,

"There were originally just fourteen Clara Dolls, but I have split most of them up into hundreds of thousands of lesser dolls scattered throughout our society. All of them hold positions of power all around the world. They masquerade as police officers, soldiers, media, politicians, teachers, business leaders, and even student council members."

"The student council of our school… they're all Clara Dolls." Michi deduced as she recalled the way they acted during the Cultural Festival, "You weren't part of the council, but everyone at school felt that you had the council wrapped around your finger."

The naginata-wielder then shot a glare at Ogasawara and spat, "To think that they were literally your puppets."

Ogasawara sneered back at Michi, but Homura intervened again before they could bicker. The time-traveler then sighed and said,

"'Puppet' is hardly the word I would use for the Clara Dolls, Michi. 'Familiar' is the more accurate term." Homura explained as she leaned back into her seat, "I don't have so many problems with the lesser dolls since since they're mere derivatives of the originals. But, Ogasawara here is a full-fledged Clara Doll."

The time-traveler then pointed to Ogasawara beside her and said, "Noe Ogasawara's true name is 'Warukuchi' or 'Slander'."

"Warukuchi…?" Michi said as she turned her eyes away. The name sounded familiar to her, but she couldn't clearly remember where she heard it.

"Heeheehee, that's right." Ogasawara said, delighted to hear her true name, "All the lesser dolls answer to me, and I answer to the mistress." The Clara Doll then snickered and said, "Get on my bad side and I'll have the Kasamino Squadron do a live-fire GUNNEX aimed at the _Hanasou_ Dormitory while you're all sleeping! 127mm naval guns are wonderful things, noi!"

"Don't worry about her - Ogasawara is a warfreak who loves to run her mouth and threaten people. It's how she keeps order in the student council and keeps everyone in line." Homura reassured the naginata-wielder, "She is one of the many hands I have in this world."

She then glared at Ogasawara and hissed, "But if I am displeased with her, I can quite easily cut her off."

A bead of sweat rolled down Michi's brow. After looking at Homura and Ogasawara side by side and hearing them talk, Michi could see the similarities between them and they seemed to balance each other out. Ogasawara truly did take after Homura in the same way that familiars took after their Witches.

"Say what you want to say about Ogasawara and the Clara Dolls, but it's thanks to them that the world is at peace right now." Homura said as she turned to the train car window and invited Michi to do the same.

The two of them watched as they cleared the seemingly endless tunnel and found that the _Shinkansen_ train was sailing through space on tracks of purple magic. Then, Homura continued,

"Unified under my will, the world has achieved unprecedented levels of peace and prosperity. I have done in one month what the United Nations couldn't do in almost two centuries. Every major conflict has been resolved peacefully and all territorial disputes have been settled. Mutually assured destruction is a thing of the past and the doomsday clock has been winding back hours at a time."

Homura then pointed to the bright, blue face of the earth and said, "This is a wonderful chapter in human history, isn't it?"

Michi lowered her head, unable to say anything in response. The world order that Michi was used to was always precarious and its fragile peace was broken twice in her lifetime in the First and Second World Wars. The things that Michi had seen in her lifetime and the actions of her generation were the reasons why there was a Doomsday Clock in the first place. At this rate, by the end of the year, there wouldn't be a need to keep a Doomsday Clock at all.

As Michi was lost in her thoughts, a flock of peculiar black birds flew alongside the train, escorting them through the starless expanse as they would have on the earth. The large flock flew in formation, drawing tendrils of fluttering darkness over the blue face of the Earth.

"Those black, crow-like birds are called ' _Lieses_ ' and they serve as my eyes all throughout the universe. They fly in large flocks around the world and, with a little bit of magical help, can fly like this through space as well." Homura said as the _Lieses_ were flying by their window now, keeping pace with their _Shinkansen_ train, "Ogasawara helps me take care of them - just keep them well fed and they will thrive."

"Those dumb birds really like apples, heeheehee, and the color red." Ogasawara then added with a mischievous flourish, "Recently, they've taken a liking to _Incubator_ meat and blood - which is good cause' there's been a lot of that trash lately."

" _Incubator_ meat?" Michi gasped, revolted by the idea of even eating one of those foul creatures.

"The Incubators have been rebellious as of late, to put it simply." Homura explained as she subconsciously rubbed her hands in the same way she would have done if she was thoroughly washing her hands, "As a result, I've been cracking down on them. Ogasawara has been overseeing those operations."

"The Incubators used to have countless bodies to replace their old ones, right?" Ogasawara said with a crafty grin, "But give me enough time and I'll turn them into an endangered species, noi!"

"What in the world are you doing with the Incubators?" A puzzled Michi now asked, "I haven't seen a single one of them since I came to Mitakihara."

"That's not a question I can answer right away, Michi." Homura then said as she shook her head and laid her hands on her lap, "I keep the Incubators on a tight leash and I intend to use them. That's all you need to know for now."

"Homura-san…" Michi then said, finding the words to say, "I cannot argue that you've brought the world to peace, but I cannot help but see that you are surrounding yourself with terrible company."

The naginata-wielder then clenched her hands into fists and said, "This peace is just as fragile as the one that preceded it, isn't it? The cracks aren't as obvious as in the days of old, but this balance is still hanging by a thread. Your thread."

Homura didn't respond at first, facing Michi with a grave silence. The time-traveler then ran a hand thoughtfully through her hair and then said,

"That's why I'm turning to you, Michi."

* * *

**Thirty-sixth Act - Silvered By Ashes**

The space-faring _Shinkansen_ train of the so-called 'Silver Garden Express' sailed past the moon, riding on magical purple tracks that appeared in front of the train and disappeared behind them. Michi looked out of the window with wide eyes as she watched the moon closely for the first time since coming to Mitakihara.

The face of the moon was covered in deep scars and half of its surface was scorched charcoal grey. This must have been why every time that she looked up to the night sky, there was always only a half moon, Michi thought. Sometimes less, but never more than half.

"Michi, we're almost here." Homura reminded as she leaned back into her seat, "Ready your heart for what you are about to see. I don't know exactly how much of your memories have returned, but the Silver Garden that I will show you will be different from what you recall."

Michi didn't reply, choosing to keep watching the starless scene through the window by her seat. The train soon passed the moon by and began to slow down. The flocks of _Lieses_ finally managed to pass the train by. The train then started to descend upon a strange celestial body that floated gracefully in the shadow of the moon.

Michi watched as the train approached a simple, makeshift platform become coming to a halt. Ogasawara promptly stood up and marched into the train's cockpit. Moments later, the train car doors opened with heavy hydraulic hisses and a chilly wind swept in.

"This is our stop, Michi." Homura then said as she stood up from her seat and wore a complex expression. Homura's breath fogged up as she said, "Welcome to the Silver Garden."

"Or what's left of it…" Michi whispered beneath her breath with a stoic face as she rose from her seat, avoiding Homura's probing eyes as she made her way toward the train car's open doors.

As soon as Michi peered out of the train's threshold, flakes of ash started to fall like snowflakes from the gloomy, grey clouds that hung over the plane of the Silver Garden. A thick forest of once vibrantly green trees spread out around her in its scorched and sorry state. The bare canopies of the grand trees reached out to the gloomy heavens like the hands of faithful believers calling out to something that was no longer there. Homura walked over to Michi's side and offered to help her off the train, but Michi promptly refused.

Michi hopped onto the platform on her own, casting dust and ash skyward that lingered around her. The bitter, uncharacteristic coldness of the air enveloped Michi and pierced through her thin springtime clothes, frustrating her. Homura then landed beside Michi on the platform with a knit purple scarf in hand and said,

"Take this - you'll catch a cold otherwise."

Michi looked at the purple scarf with a scowl before she irritably snatched it from Homura without saying a word. She wrapped the scarf around her neck on her own before she acknowledged Homura with the smallest of nods. As she was doing this, she heard the rattle of a firearm coming from the train car door.

Michi instinctively whirled back and watched as Noe Ogasawara emerged from the train's cockpit. The Clara Doll was wearing a bulletproof vest and held a Howa Type 89 assault rifle firmly in her hands.

"I'll be watching over the train while you guys are away." Ogasawara said as she skillfully cocked the assault rifle and released the safety. She then winked spitefully at Michi and said, "Watch your back though, Hideyoshi-san. Stray bullets have a life of their own sometimes, noi!"

Michi heaved a displeased sigh but didn't bother to talk back to Ogasawara. Instead, she just turned to Homura and asked impatiently,

"Are we going or not?"

With that, Homura gestured to Michi to follow her and the two of them stepped off of the platform and into the lonely path that cut through the thick, dead forest.

"So, please, do tell me Michi - do you remember this place already?" Homura asked as she walked two paces ahead of the naginata-wielder, "You were the one in charge of this place before, so does it ring a bell?"

"This was what we once called the 'Barrier Forest'." Michi spoke in a distant, longing voice as she looked up to the bare canopies of the over-arching trees, "Back in the day, there were paper charms that hung from the branches - magical wards that kept the Silver Garden safe. It kept the Silver Garden hidden from the sight of the mortals and from the Incubators and also warded off evil elements. The forest ran around the perimeter of the Silver Garden, so it formed a spherical shield of magical energy."

Michi then saw the scars of battle scattered around the forest - broken branches, trees cut in half or uprooted whole and not a single tree left unburned. Michi started to remember the times when she used to patrol this forest path - back when she was the third-in-command of the Silver Garden. The scars of battle, however, turned the straight, peaceful path into a precarious and treacherous one. Then, the _Liese_ birds that had accompanied their train started to perch en masse on the bare canopies around them. Glaring at the birds, Michi started to speak with venom in her tone as she ruefully continued,

"That barrier was supposed to keep elements like you, your Clara Dolls and your birds out. Since you're here parading your power like this, it's clear that the barrier failed."

As Michi was lamenting, the naginata-wielder skipped past a fallen tree but then tripped on something hidden beneath the layers of ash that had accumulated on the path. Michi fell on her hands and knees and found what appeared to be the charred husk of an M16A1 rifle and the tattered remains of a black beret with a silver wing pin.

Homura rushed back to Michi's side, but the naginata-wielder refused her help yet again. Michi picked herself up then took black beret and dusted it off. She then also took the assault rifle as she stood up and pulled out the magazine, tossing it to the side ruefully. Holding the rifle firmly in hand, she pulled back the operating rod and ejected the chambered bullet with a hollow metallic clink that echoed throughout the empty, charred forest.

"These were the weapons of the Magi of the Interior… our volunteer peacekeepers." Michi then said with a wisp of a voice as she held the rifle and the beret tightly, "Eight thousand strong - proud black berets."

She then drove the rifle barrel first into the ground with a swift motion and laid the beret atop the stock, "Now they're all gone, huh?"

Michi solemnly lowered her head and whispered something that Homura couldn't hear. After a few words, Michi turned to Homura and said, "Don't mind me, Homura-san. Just keep going."

Homura wanted to say something to Michi, but words were coming to her scarcely that afternoon. Michi then passed Homura by and continued down the precarious forest path on her own. She walked ahead of Homura as the purple scarf around her neck and the willow-branch ornament on her kanzashi pin whipped in the frigid winds.

Homura followed Michi this time and let the naginata-wielder lead. Every time they came across a gun and a beret, however, Michi stopped to do her somber, silent ritual with a heavy heart. All the while, Michi never spoke a word to Homura.

The two of them soon cleared the Barrier Forest and entered a vast field caked in silver ashes that had accumulated like snow. The ashes stretched out further than the eye could see and painted the once warm and wonderful plane in a ghastly light. Michi was stunned by the sight of it all and took a few moments to gather herself before she managed to speak again.

"This was the Goddess' Meadow." Michi said as she forced her feet to start cutting a path forward through the thick layers of ash, "All of this used to be a verdant meadow that sparkled green in the morning sunlight. In the evenings, the entire place would be painted silver by the moonlight. Wisps of colored lights would rise up from the silvered grass like fireflies and danced around the meadow."

The naginata-wielder then looked up to the thick, gloomy clouds that hung over the meadow and watched her fogged breath rise up as she spoke, "It was also always summertime here - summer days and summer nights all year round, and not a cloud in the sky."

Tears formed at the side of Michi's eyes as she softly lamented, "How far has this place fallen because of me? And yet… I'm still here..."

Homura trod on quietly through the ash-caked meadow, following the path that Michi had cleared ahead of her. Watching Michi's back, she wondered just what kind of face Michi was making as she went through her old home. Regardless, it wouldn't have changed the fate of that god-forsaken place.

A frigid gale then blew through the meadow and unearthed large objects that had been buried in the ash. There were empty hulls of derelict M113 armored personnel carriers, crashed F4U-6/AU-1 Corsair fighter/bombers and the warped, disfigured forms of what used to be M101 field howitzers. There was a whole host of small arms scattered around there as well - dozens more M16A1 rifles and now M60 machineguns paired with the tattered berets of their now absent gunners.

The further down the meadow the girls walked, the more discarded firearms and berets they found. Michi still stopped for every single one of them and did her quiet ritual. It was getting harder for Homura to keep watching this quietly. There was no way for Michi to pick up every gun buried beneath the ashes that covered that desolate place.

It was a futile endeavor. Michi herself knew that disheartening fact, but she still propped up rifles and machineguns alike into makeshift grave markers for those fallen. Then, before she realized it, she was surrounded in hundreds of weapons sticking out of the earth. It was an overwhelming sight that pierced Michi's already aching heart and she cried out in anguish. Michi fell to her knees and held her head in utter shock.

Homura rushed over to Michi to try and help her up, but Michi fiercely refused her. Michi pushed Homura away and clenched her hands into fists as she punched the ash-caked meadows in a rage. Lost in her madness and her guilt, she punched the ground and cursed herself and her shortcomings at the top of her lungs.

Michi's anguish soon got the better of her and her head started to feel light. The harrowing melody of Dvorak's 9th Symphony soon filled her ears, coming from somewhere she couldn't see. It grew louder and louder with every punch that she threw into the ash until the sound deafened her. The torrent of sound washed over her and plunged her consciousness into a sea of blinding white.

…

.

…

**First Interlude**

_December 31, 2088_ _\- Friday, Law of Cycles_

"Michi…! Hey, Michi!"

The voice of Elise de Lamarliere called out to Michi and roused her consciousness in the sea of white. Elise's voice was distant at first, but the music of Dvorak's 9th ebbed until it faded away completely. Elise's voice then became cleared and the blinding whiteness washed away from Michi's mind. Michi then found herself on her hands and knees, stooped over on the firm, smooth floors of a long, infinite corridor.

The floor was cool to the touch and thin, cotton-like clouds floated above the ground and also formed the ceiling above her. Portafinestra doors also floated around the corridor, every single one of them showing glimpses of countless realms from various points in human history.

This was the Cloister of Clouds, Michi recalled as she watched the thin clouds coalesce and swirl around her hands pressing against the floor. This was the peaceful hallway that linked to the Goddess' Meadow to the sanctuary realms of all the Puella Magi that had been brought up to the Silver Garden. From that position, Michi saw that the purple scarf that Homura lent her was no longer wrapped around her neck and that her springtime clothes were replaced by her own magical kimono.

How did she get there? When did she transform into her kimono? These were the questions that floated around in Michi's mind as she tried to gather her bearings. Then, she felt a small, ceramic disk rolling off from the folds of her kimono. Michi tried to stop it and scrambled to catch the disk - a beautiful amazake cup that she kept from her hometown.

But all of the sudden, a sharp pain shot through Michi's heart and the amazake cup slipped through her fingers. Pierced by her pain, Michi grunted and groaned as a cold sweat formed on her brow. She then watched as the _amazake_ cup broke neatly, albeit unnaturally, into two equal pieces. The pain subsided before long, but an ominous thought lingered in Michi's mind. She laid a hand on her chest and felt her frightened heart start beating again, but she felt like something was missing.

Elise de Lamarliere's worried voice then reached Michi's ears again as the French knight came rushing through the cloud-veiled hall. Elise, wearing her own magical armor, knelt by Michi's side and gave the naginata-wielder a once-over. She didn't like what she saw and spoke in straight English.

"What happened to you, Michi?" The French girl took Michi's hands in hers then said with concern "Your hands are cold and your face is pale."

"The _amazake_ cup… the one we drank from when we first ascended… it broke." Michi soon managed to reply, speaking in English as well as she held onto the French knight for support, "Then, for a brief moment, I saw something - a salamander cutting red ribbons apart. It's a writing on the wall, Elise! I fear that the end is near!"

"What in the world are you talking about, Michi? What does our _amazake_ cup have anything to do with this?" Elise asked as she picked up the two shards off the floor, "What's this sudden fatalism too? Just a while ago, you were announcing that the Goddess Madoka was about to return. Then, all of the sudden, you stopped and I find you here on your hands and knees."

"Something's terribly wrong, Elise." Michi said with desperation as she held onto Elise for support, "Just now, I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and… and I…"

Michi held onto Elise even tighter now as she said, "I can't feel the Goddess Madoka's presence anymore!"

"You, of all people, can't feel the Goddess Madoka's presence?" Elise could hardly fathom the thought, "That's impossible, Michi. You're the Caretaker of the Silver Garden, the one whom the the Goddess Madoka chose to watch her flock while she was away."

The French girl's voice then weakened as the gravity of Michi's words dawned upon her, "If you can't feel the Goddess anymore, then…"

"I know what that means, Elise. That's what scares me." Michi said as she turned to Elise and pleaded, "Please, help me over to the Goddess' Meadow and come down to Earth with me."

Michi managed to regain her footing somewhat and added, "We must see what happened to the Goddess and Akemi-san with our own eyes."

Elise conceded a dutiful nod and carefully helped Michi walk through the Cloister of Clouds. The steps of the girls grew brisk and purposeful but they hardly echoed in the vast clouded cloister. It was an ominous silence that, even after a whole year of living in the Silver Garden, Michi only happened to notice now. In spite of all the portafinestra doors that floated around in the Cloister, the entire cloudy space was infinite and felt oppressively empty.

Was it always like this? Michi couldn't say. She wondered if the Goddess Madoka noticed that emptiness too when she was still in the garden.

Then the two girls passed by a peculiar portafinestra window - one that didn't show a glimpse into another peaceful realm. Instead, there was a vast whiteness that stretched out as far as the eye can see.

"That's the door to what will become the realm of Akemi-san when she ascends to the garden." Elise then said as they approached the windowed door, "Esperanza Salita will be in charge of bringing that realm to life when the time comes. But if what you're saying is true, then..."

Before Michi could say anything, she and Elise reached the threshold of the Cloister of Clouds. They stepped through the threshold and basked in the warmth of the Goddess' Meadow. It was a warm afternoon as always - the same kind of afternoon that came from the eternal summer that had ruled over the Silver Garden from the very beginning.

Throngs of Puella Magi were gathered out in the verdant meadow. Usually, the girls would come out en masse to watch the afternoon sun bow out and give way to the moon and the magnificent sea of stars that accompanied it. That afternoon, however, the crowd was much larger than usual and must have numbered more than a million souls with many more starting to pour out of the Cloister.

The multitude of Puella Magi gathered in the meadow saw Michi and Elise and the whole lot of them cheered.

"This isn't good. The whole Garden must have gotten excited when you said that the Goddess Madoka was returning." Elise explained as the attention of the girls nearby turned to them and the cheering grew louder, "They all gathered here to welcome the Goddess and Akemi-san home."

As Elise said this, Michi recalled the words of the Goddess Madoka that Sayaka relayed to her just moments ago,

' _Gather everyone in the garden, then come and follow us._ '

"No… no…" Michi shook her head as the fanfare of the massive crowd frightened her. She then raised her voice and cried out, "The Goddess Madoka isn't returning. The meadow isn't safe right now, everyone!"

Some of the girls gathered in the meadow turned to Michi with looks of confusion and disbelief and wondered by their own Caretaker was speaking like she had lost her mind. Many others, however, couldn't even hear Michi's voice over the expectant chanting echoing all throughout the Goddess' Meadow.

Then, all of the sudden, the fanfare came to a chilling halt and an oppressive silence hung about. The magnificent moon finally rose into the horizon as it always did, but its appearance shocked and horrified the stunned crowds in the meadow. The face of the moon was scarred as if a monster's claws had carved into it. Half of the moon was also charred and smoldering, bearing frightening resemblance to the 'No Man's Lands' that scattered across the earth during the two World Wars.

But this was only the beginning.

Behind the ravaged moon, the sea of stars that adorned the great vastness of space were being swallowed up one after another by a veil of purple with blotches of various sickly colors. The veil stretched out hungrily, spreading out further than the eye could see as it crawled out to the ends of the universe. Before long, the Silver Garden itself was enveloped by the malicious purple veil and the crowd of more than a million souls panicked.

"Evacuate the Goddess' Meadow this instant, everyone!" Michi cried out again at the top of her lungs, "Quickly, it's not safe here!"

Michi's words didn't reach far in the midst of that chaos, so she drew a colorless clube out from the folds of her kimono. She looked into the cube and saw her own frightened reflection inside of it. Michi shook her head then tossed the colorless cube up to the sky. The cube then shone bright turquoise blue like a flare and finally caught everyone's attention.

Michi transformed her kanzashi pin then repeated her call into the turquoise blue gem that adorned it,

"Please listen, everyone! Evacuate the Goddess' Meadow in an orderly fashion. Seek shelter in the Cloister and do not cross the threshold until it's safe to leave!"

The panicked Puella Magi heeded Michi's call and the pandemonium that arose from the sight of the moon and the purple veil started to calm down. Michi and Elise struggled to usher the girls back into the Cloister, but the sheer number of souls gathered in the meadow and the lingering shock made it a difficult task.

In the midst of that chaos, the petite figure of Lorelei Sankt squeezed through the crowds, headed for the opposite direction as she made her way to Michi's and Elise's side.

" _Gott in Himmel!_ I'm glad I found the two of you here!" The German girl was panting, but she too tried to help usher the magi back into the cloister as best as she could, "I saw the flare, Michi, and I heard your call so I came here as fast as I could - but the Cloister is just about ready to burst!"

"It looks like the Cloister isn't the only thing that's about to burst, Lorelei." Michi said with grave concern as she pointed up to the sky, "The Holy Barrier's shimmering wildly right now - what's going on?"

"I was monitoring the Holy Barrier from the _Tiergarten_ , actually. I detected a lot of stress on the barrier and I was actually about to head over here to check it out." The little German girl then gestured wildly with her hands as she spoke in a technocratic stride, "There's an amalgamation of karmic energies outside of the Holy Barrier unlike anything I've seen before. It's converging and oscillating beyond normal parameters in ways that shouldn't even be possible and…!"

The German girl stopped herself there and blushed with embarrassment as she realized that she had already lost her audience in confusion. Lorelei cleared her throat then promptly rephrased her words.

"What I'm trying to say is - the Holy Barrier is meant to keep malicious forces out of the Silver Garden and to hide it from the view of the mortal world. The Barrier separates our dimension from theirs." The German magi then pointed up to the shimmering barrier and said, "This means that there is a malicious force that can cross dimensions and is trying to get into the Silver Garden."

Lorelei's brow then furrowed as she added, "For this force to stress the Holy Barrier this much, it must be immense - strong enough to challenge the magic of the Goddess Madoka herself."

"Strong enough… to challenge the Goddess Madoka…" Michi repeated in disbelief. Hearing this made her ominous vision seem more feasible all of the sudden and the thought of it made her head spin.

Just as Michi was about to speak, the shimmering of the barrier coalesced into the shape of two ethereal hands whose fingers were pressing on the barrier's surface. From where the three magi stood, it looked like two hands cracking open an egg. The force exerted by the hands grew and the trees of the Barrier Forest around them started to glow white one after another.

"The paper charms!" Lorelei gasped as the entire forest shone white, "They're being pushed to their limits! They're going to catch fire at this point!"

"Lorelei - I don't think the barrier will hold much longer." Michi interrupted, laying her hands on the German girl's shoulders, "You're the third-in-command now, so have Anne-Marie Doucette and the Magi of the Interior see to it that everyone is safe in their sanctums."

She then looked at Lorelei straight in the eyes and urged, "Once they're done, tell the Interior to prepare for battle."

As Michi spoke, the paper charms indeed caught fire one after another. The flame quickly spread throughout the Barrier Forest like a wildfire, casting thick clouds of black smoke that started to loom over the meadow.

"Hurry, Lorelei!" Michi cried.

"I'm going now!" Lorelei whirled around and helped shepherd some more stragglers through the Cloister of Clouds. As she did so, she tossed up her own colorless blank cubes up to to the Cloister's cloud-swept ceiling. The cubes suspended in midair and glowed pearly white like flares, guiding the evacuees through the packed, cloudy halls.

Meanwhile, Michi and Elise walked on over to the wooden gazebo at the heart of the meadow. From there, they kept a tense watch over the smoldering Barrier Forest and the ethereal hands that were threatening to break open the heavens. All the while, she could hear the panic of the girls rushing into the Cloister of Clouds behind them.

"The Goddess Madoka…" Michi said in disbelief as she watched and heard this chaos unfolding before her, "Did she know that all of this would happen to the Silver Garden? Did she know that this was going to happen to us?"

"Michi…" Elise said as she stood firmly beside Michi, but she didn't know what else to say.

"A Goddess is a divine being, right? The Goddess should have known if something this grave would have happened to her and to us." Michi said as she rested her hands on the railings of the gazebo, "But the Goddess Madoka said nothing and went into the Isolation Field with a smile on her lips."

"Michi, our first priority is to gather our strength and to keep all these girls under our wings safe." Elise reminded as she watched the two ethereal hands redoubling their efforts, "If you have any doubts about the Goddess, then ask her about them yourself when you meet again. Now isn't the time to presume what the Goddess can and cannot do."

The French knight then laid a hand on Michi's shoulders and said, "What the Silver Garden needs now is the strength of a Caretaker who can lead us to battle."

"Can someone like me really carry everyone like this on my shoulders?" Michi spoke with her head hanging low, "The Goddess Madoka is much stronger than I am… how could I possibly compare myself to her."

"The Goddess Madoka didn't choose you to be the Caretaker of the Silver Garden because you were like her." Elise said as she wrapped Michi in a gentle embrace, "She chose you because you are Michi Hideyoshi and she has faith in you to lead her flock."

The French girl then laid a kind hand on Michi's head and said, "Besides, Lorelei, Ligaya, Audrey, Serafina and I… we will help you carry these burdens. The six of us are Archangels of the Silver Garden after all."

"You're right…" Michi spoke weakly as she let herself be wrapped in Elise's arms. She then chuckled as she returned Elise's embrace and said, "And I couldn't have asked for a better Exemplar than you."

In the midst of that tender moment, Michi suddenly felt a chill run up her spine. Coming from the meadow, she saw the translucent figure of a person who wasn't supposed to be there - Homura Akemi herself. The time-traveler was walking briskly towards the gazebo and passed through the blades of glass like a ghost. Seeing Homura there made Michi's blood boil and she wanted to clench her fists in anger, but her body wouldn't respond. What's more, Elise herself didn't seem to notice the odd presence of the time-traveler in their midst.

"What are you doing here, Michi?" Homura argued as she climbed up the steps into the gazebo, "I came with you here to come clean with you and to show you what became of the Silver Garden."

The time-traveler's translucent brow then furrowed as she said, "I didn't bring you here to sink back into this horrible recollection!"

The time-traveler then took Michi by the hand and pulled her away from her body. Michi was shocked when she saw her hand, then the rest of her body turned translucent as well - just like a spirit being torn from her body. Michi's 'body', the Michi of the past however, stayed wrapped in Elise de Lamarliere's embrace.

"This is a memory, Michi." Homura said as she gripped Michi's translucent hand tightly, "But you were going through the motions as if you were actually there right at this moment!"

The time-traveler turned Michi to face her and said, "No matter what you do, you won't be able to change what happened on that fateful day. And as things stand - neither can I!"

"It's a memory that you shrouded in the back of my own mind, Homura-san! What gives you the right to tell me what I do with my memories!?" Michi argued back, pulling her translucent hand away from Homura's, "I know that I can't change the past! I've lived nearly two centuries carrying regrets that could chill a soul for many lifetimes in my heart."

Michi squared off against Homura and said, "However, forcing me to forget all of this will do nothing! How can you ask me to think and help you plan your future while making me forget my past!? You're asking me to build a house on sand!"

"How will living through this nightmare again help you move forward, Michi?" Homura asked defiantly, "This is undue stress. This is suffering that you're bringing upon yourself!"

"It was the same reason that drove you to look into my history and the histories of my friends." Michi then said with a softer tone, "You said you've been watching us all this time, didn't you? You did so to know what you were up against. You had to learn everything you could about me - about Walpurgisnacht. Do you remember?"

Homura was stunned by the naginata-wielder's words, but she managed to string together a question,

"What are you trying to say, Michi?"

"Earlier, you were asking me to explain things to you about the Silver Garden - things that you should have known since you invaded us on that fateful day." Michi explained firmly, "It took me a while to realize it… but seeing you here now in this memory, I realized - you don't remember the siege at all, do you?"

"I don't." Homura admitted, "I don't remember most of it. It was all a blur to me. But…!"

Michi interrupted Homura before she could say anything else.

"Then now's the perfect chance to for you to see just exactly what we were up against then - what you're up against now." Michi then said, "You have many enemies, Homura-san, but the biggest one in my eyes may very well be the one who looks back at you in the mirror."

Homura didn't reply, locking her eyes with Michi for a tense moment before she finally yielded a nod. Michi nodded back, then somberly watched herself relive that moment when she saw the sky break open and come tumbling down.

* * *

**Thirty-seventh Act / Act MMXCIX - Eight Thousand Strong, Proud Black Berets**

The translucent figures of Michi and Homura lingered around in the gazebo at the heart of the Silver Garden like ghosts who watched as the last of the moon-watchers funnel into the Cloister of Clouds. Once the crowd finally thinned, Lorelei Sankt returned to the meadow with the Archangels in tow. All of them were in their Puella Magi attires, but none of them could see the two 'ghosts' lingering about.

"This is the Goddess' Gazebo." Michi then said longingly as she paced around the quaint wooden building, "This is the place where the Goddess Madoka gathered us Archangels before we went out on a mission and where she invited us for tea. The table in the middle had nine sides and nine chairs - one for each of us."

The naginata-wielder then pensively laid her hand on the backrest the largest chair in the gazebo and said,

"This was where the Goddess sat - and that was where I was expected to sit as the Caretaker of the Silver Garden. But I never did. I didn't feel like I deserved such an honor."

The translucent Michi and Homura then watched as the girls sat down at the table. The Michi from the past avoided the Goddess Madoka's chair and sat to the left of it instead - the place where she always sat. The translucent Michi then turned to Homura and spoke,

"That fateful evening, when the six of us were sitting here at the nine-sided table, the three empty chairs weighed heavily on our hearts. The Goddess Madoka, her Exemplar Miki-san and our newest Archangel, Nagisa-chan were supposed to be there. There was a deafening silence that hung over the gazebo from the empty chairs, but it couldn't be helped. From our chairs, the six of us were watching the Holy Barrier crumbling before our eyes."

The six Archangels sat at the nine-sided table, wondering just how that malicious force managed to find the Silver Garden. They also tried to figure out just what that malicious force was. Homura's translucent figure knowingly hung back and leaned against a pillar of the gazebo with a thoughtful frown.

As the six Archangels were talking, the translucent figures of Michi and Homura saw another figure approach the gazebo.

"That's Anne-Marie Doucette, the Captain of the Magi of the Interior." Michi then said as the French-Canadian girl marched up the gazebo stairs.

Captain Doucette gave the Archangels a sharp salute.

"Anne-Marie Doucette… the ex-Carissima of Salvae's branch in Quebec." Homura recognized the figure well, "She's the grenadier magi."

"That's right." Michi acknowledged, "She led Salvae's Philippine Expedition in 1945 if you recall, so she had the most experience leading a large battlegroup of Puella Magi among us. Plus, she was an honorable professional - the perfect girl for the job."

Michi and Homura watched as the Michi of the past offered Sayaka's seat to the Captain, but Anne-Marie politely refused. Thus, standing in attention, the Captain gave her report - the noncombatants had been evacuated while the troops were gearing up as she spoke.

"Gearing up?" Homura asked with a raised brow, "They're Puella Magi. Why would they need to gear up?"

"Everyone who was brought up to the Silver Garden surrendered their magic - their wishes and their hopes - to the Goddess Madoka so that they would live their afterlife in peace." The translucent Michi explained as she thoughtfully felt the ring she now wore on her finger, "That meant that we Archangels were the only ones with magical powers in the Silver Garden. Everyone else who came to fight that evening had to make do with conventional arms."

That explains all the firearms scattered around, Homura thought. Puella Magi used conventional weapons against Witches to supplement their magic throughout history. Even Homura herself used multitudes of conventional weapons to fight her foes. However, this wasn't how Homura thought that Goddess Madoka 'saved' souls. The thought of Madoka having other Puella Magi surrender their magic to her was inconceivable to her. But Homura held her tongue for the time being and listened to the conversation in the gazebo.

...

"Thank you, Doucette-san." The Michi of the past said as she and the Archangels returned the Captain's salute. The naginata-wielder tilted her head curiously, however, and asked, "Your deputy isn't with you?"

"Ah, you mean Esperanza Salita?" Anne-Marie asked, but her tone quickly deflated, "Actually, Exemplar Miki came to me earlier and asked for a small team of Magi of the Interior to go down to the Earth. _Mademoiselle_ Salita was the team leader."

"Oh dear…" Ligaya piped up fearfully in her chair, "If Esperanza's outside of the Holy Barrier now, then that means…"

"That just means we'll have to save them as well after we win this battle." The Michi of the past promptly reassured as she sat down on her chair. She then turned to Anne-Marie and said, "We'll be counting on you to help us protect our Garden, Captain."

"By the Goddess Madoka's grace, we will win." Anne-Marie said as she brought out a large paper map of the Silver Garden and laid it out on the nine-sided table.

The Captain then fished out a number of chess pieces and explained as she placed them on the map.

"The white pawns are our eight battalions of foot soldiers, the knights are our mobile armored assets, the rooks are our field batteries, and the bishop here is our twelve-plane CAS squadron." The Captain then turned to Michi and asked, "So what do you think we're up against, exactly?"

"This is only a hunch at this point… but I have the feeling that we are about to fight a Witch." The Michi of the past said with a serious tone as she placed a black queen on the map opposite to the white pieces, "This isn't any mere Witch either. After all, it can challenge the Goddess Madoka's magic like this."

"We will use superior firepower to disorient her." Elise added, placing a white queen on the map and said, "Then, we Archangels will deal the decisive blow."

...

As the Captain and the Archangels were watching, the translucent figures of Michi and Homura heard the roar of engines coming from the threshold of the Cloister. The two translucent girls looked out the gazebo and watched twelve F4U-6/AU-1 Corsair fighter/bombers flying out of the threshold one after another before splitting into tight formations. Once the planes were through, M113 Armored Personnel Carriers rumbled through the threshold next, numbering a little over five hundred and towing a dozen M101 field howitzers behind them.

"Where did you get all this military hardware?" Homura then asked, folding her arms as the troops of the Silver Garden now marched with their firearms slung over their shoulders.

"We fabricated them here in the Silver Garden ourselves." Michi replied as she heaved a sigh, "There were a lot of ex-Salvae weaponsmiths who helped make them for us. Serafina copied the schematics of the small arms while Ligaya led the assembly of the Corsairs and the APCs. Audrey calibrated the cannons and Lorelei built all the tools they ever needed. They turned her _Tiergarten_ sanctuary into a workshop and armory."

"It was a bit of a hobby of Lorelei's and Ligaya's at first." Michi continued as she watched the German and the Filipina girl looking out at the troops and their equipment with delight. She then turned to Homura and spoke grimly, "But after you were trapped in the Isolation Field by the Incubators, making weapons and material wasn't a hobby anymore."

The naginata-wielder then noticed the bright smiles on Lorelei's and Ligaya's lips mellow as she continued,

"In Lorelei's own words, she said that it felt like Salvae had been revived - but she didn't seem all too happy about it. After all, we thought that we would be able to leave that chapter of our lives behind - but here we were, crafting weapons and preparing for war again in the afterlife. It's ironic.".

Michi's translucent figure then walked over to the edge of the gazebo and she looked up to the shimmering barrier in the sky and the ethereal hands that wrapped around it.

"It all came too little, too late. We made weapons and we drafted up battleplans, but we were just fooling ourselves." Michi then said as she pointed up to the sky, "Nothing could have prepared us for the day that the sky came falling down."

* * *

**Thirty-eighth Act / Act MMC - The Siege of the Silver Garden**

The Michi of the past shot up from her seat and whirled her head to face the shimmering barrier. Cracks were forming on the barrier, spreading quickly like white snakes that slithered far and wide. The warm summer air that had always ruled over the Silver Garden was quickly usurped by frigid cold winds that fogged up the breaths of the girls gathered in the gazebo. The fires that were burning in the Barrier Forest also changed, turning into an unholy shade of purple as the last of the white paper charms burned to ash.

Blobs of sickly purple seeped through the cracks and dripped down like drops of blood, forcing the Corsairs to break formation and disrupting the formations of the Silver Garden's troops. They fell just hundreds of meters away from the frontlines, casting clouds of dust skyward that blinded the troops. Immediately after, the Holy Barrier collapsed under its own weight and countless shimmering shards came crashing down.

The shards fizzled away before they could reach the ground, but it was soon replaced by powdery snow and the verdant, summertime meadow slowly writhed into a barren tundra.

"When I look back at it now, it was New Year's day in present-day Mitakihara." The translucent Michi said as she reached out to a snowflake and watched as it passed through her hand, "Everyone here was waiting for the Goddess Madoka to return and to celebrate the new year with her."

Michi clenched her fist and said,

"Instead of watching fireworks in peace, we all had to pick up rifles and dig up trenches in their beloved meadow. Robbed of our Goddess, we braced ourselves to fight the minions and familiars of the malice that stole her from us."

The dust from the impacts settled and the silhouettes of the invaders emerged - hundreds of thousands of tin soldiers that wore bearskins resembling the locks of a girl's long, straight black hair more than fur. The tin soldiers carried an array of weapons; thin halberds with black, geometric blades, wide-bladed triangular javelins with purple tassels and muskets affixed with bayonets of menacing black needles.

Gigantic molar teeth also arose from the dust, revealing their yellowed decay and massive, mouth-like cavities that were biting onto what appeared to be walnuts. Before the girls in the front lines could react, the molars' cavities bit into their walnuts and sent them flying towards Anne-Marie's unprepared ranks like cannonballs.

The walnuts slammed into the M113 APCs, leaving deep dents on their frontal armor plates. Some of the walnuts smashed the bulletproof windows. The other walnuts tore off the M2 Browning machine guns, sometimes along with the heads of the gunners who were manning them. The riflewomen standing behind the APCs fearfully huddled behind the armor to hide from the hail of walnuts.

The first volley of walnuts ceased and the Anne-Marie's front lines were in disarray. Behind the smoke and the soot, they could hear the march of hundreds of thousands of tin soldiers heading towards them. Then, they heard an ominous munching noise. It wouldn't be long before the second volley was underway.

"Our troops scrambled to get back into position, but the shock from the first volley shattered their morale. Everybody was still reeling from the shock and the chaos brewing around them." Michi narrated with a rueful tone, "Anne-Marie, the Archangels and I had to join the fray ourselves and help the girls regroup. We couldn't just stand by and watch any longer."

The translucent Michi then followed her past self and the Archangels towards the frontlines where picked up shovels to dig trenches and used their magic to heal as many of the wounded as they could. Homura tailed the translucent Michi a few paces behind and watched the chaos and the grim expressions on everyone's faces in the battlefield. Then, the twelve Corsairs roared above the chaos and flew past the veil of smoke.

The translucent Michi then turned around to face Homura again to speak,

"The smoke was too thick to see anything, and the enemy positions were too far for M16s and the M60s to hit. The Corsairs were our eyes and they spotted the enemy positions for us. Anne-Marie hopped into one of the APCs coordinated with our planes over the radio. Once they got a fix on the positions, Anne-Marie gave the order."

"We have coordinates!" Anne-Marie barked over the radio, "Brownings! Field guns! Open fire!"

All at once, the M2 Browning guns came to life and started peppering the enemy positions with .50 caliber bullets, guided by the reports of the Corsairs flying above. The large bullets tore the tin soldiers apart limb by limb while the molars were chipped and whittled down. The molars panicked and tried to launch their second volley, but the field artillery soon rained down accurate 105mm shells on them that pulverized the molars completely.

"Our heavy machineguns laid down sustained fire and the shelling from our howitzers pounded the enemy lines mercilessly." Michi then said as she sauntered forward through the front lines and watched the barrage from a stone's throw away, "But the tin soldiers didn't stop their march, no matter how many of them we killed. Thousands fell in the span of a few seconds, but thousands more would appear to replace them. Advancing so tenaciously, it didn't take long before they were within our small arms' range."

As Michi said this, the foot soldiers dove down into the front-line trenches and started firing their guns at the tin wave. The M16A1 rifles and the M60 machine guns thinned down the ranks of the tin soldiers until their advance ground to a halt just over a hundred meters away from the front lines.

"We achieved a stalemate, albeit a precarious one." Michi said as she traced an imaginary line on the accumulating snow in the meadow with her wooden slippers, "We Archangels were getting ready to mobilize, but we knew that the molars and the tin soldiers were mere minions and familiars. The absence of the Witch herself troubled us."

She then faced the burning Barrier Forest in the distance and said,

"Then the Witch - your Witch - showed herself to us."

The purple flames that engulfed the Barrier Forest grew stronger as a towering silhouette of a girl who stood taller than any of the great trees in the forest. The head of the girl was partially severed, but it still had its full head of long, black hair with a crown of red spider lilies. Most of the girl's body was a skeleton covered in an elegant polonaise that resembled a birdcage. Her bony hands carried a pair of golden birdcages filled to the brim with the black crow-like birds, the _'Lieses_ '. Meanwhile the two ethereal hands that had cracked the Holy Barrier open hovered before her, tearing up the great trees that stood in the Witch's way.

"Homulily." Homura then said with a firm tone of displeasure, "The Nutcracker Witch."

"Nobody in the Silver Garden could tell for sure, but I had a feeling then that it was your Witch." Michi said as she watched the towering figure advancing through the forest and tearing it apart, "The only one who I felt would have had such a burning desire to see the Goddess Madoka to the point that you would shatter heaven itself was you, Homura-san. I wanted to meet you again, yes - but not like this!"

Walnuts and artillery shells flew back and forth overhead as Michi spoke. Her translucent figure then turned to Homura with a swell of emotion and she cried,

"The afterlives of those eight thousand armed volunteers and the millions more who were unarmed and scared to death were in grave danger. The sole reprieve that Puella Magi had to look forward to in their pitiful lives was the promise of paradise when their times came. That reprieve was on the verge of being destroyed! So, we came at your Witch and your minions with everything we had."

Under the cover of the gunfire from the Magi of the Interior, the six Archangels dove into the fray and punched a hole through the battered lines of the tin soldiers and molars. Ligaya summoned a trio of M1A3 Abrams tanks that led the breakthrough charge. The Archangels hitched a ride on the tanks and advanced at top speed towards the Nutcracker Witch.

Audrey up-armed the Abrams tanks with her magic, replacing their 120mm Rheinmetall guns with the larger and longer 155mm howitzers that the artillery-woman herself used. Lorelei Sankt cast down powerful bolts of lightning to strike Homulily from up above. Then, once the ethereal hands tried to swipe at the girls and the tanks, Serafina cast a maroon veil around them that rendered them invisible. All the while, Ligaya's tanks fired their new howitzer guns and closed the gap between them and the Nutcracker Witch.

Once they were close enough, Michi and Elise emerged from the invisible veil and took point. They rushed side-by-side with their weapons drawn and began their attack in perfect sync. Blisteringly quick swipes from Michi's naginata and heavy, bone-shattering blows from Elise's greatsword tore up the reeling Witch.

Then, the field guns of the Silver Garden helped pound the Witch with artillery shells as well while the Corsairs strafed with their 20mm cannons and their full payloads of 5-inch rockets.

"Our attacks hit their marks remarkably well and it was a resounding success." Michi then said as she watched the battle keenly, "The Nutcracker Witch moaned in pain then she keeled over, and her minions and familiars burst into piles of dust. The troops of the Magi of the Interior cheered with tears of joy in their eyes. A thousand or more of them must have been injured or perished in that violent engagement, but we were able to defend the Silver Garden."

A long pause followed as Michi closed her eyes with a bitter frown on her lips as she added,

"But this was all a ruse. The worst had yet to come."

* * *

**Thirty-ninth Act / Act MMCI - Absolute Terror**

The translucent Michi thus walked past the ashes of the tin soldiers and the molars and the smoldering ruins of what once was the Goddess' meadow. She gestured Homura to follow her and she obliged.

"There was something strange about this battle and we knew it." Michi explained as they approached the Archangels and their large, fallen foe, "The Nutcracker Witch did keel over and die, and its minions and familiars were dissolved. The body of the Witch herself, however, remained there in the charred forest along with her two large birdcages. Also… no matter how hard we looked, we couldn't find any Grief Seed left behind."

The ashes of the dead, black birds in the birdcages flowed down to the blackened ground like the sand of an hourglass and the flames that licked the great trees of the Barrier Forest just moments ago still had embers that glowed dark purple. Under that air of uncertainty, Anne-Marie Doucette arrived on the scene with cautious optimism and a small battalion of riflewomen, saying that they will comb through the forest for the Grief Seed and for any other clues to decipher their strange situation.

"All of the sudden… the purple flames reignited, stronger than ever before." Michi's translucent figure spoke with a shaky voice as she laid a hand over her heart, "B-burning branches fell upon Anne-Marie Doucette and her battalion, then strange creatures emerged from their hiding and attacked. Then… then gunfire erupted in the midst of the confusion and rang out in the forest, but the shrieks of pain and cries for help were much louder and terribly shrill."

Michi took another long pause as she watched the vicious assault taking place around her before she could speak again,

"The creatures that you called 'Clara Dolls' came out of nowhere and mercilessly massacred the battalion and never gave them any chance to retreat. They didn't care if they were disarmed or incapacitated, the Clara Dolls attacked without any mercy."

Michi then turned to the forest path where a wounded Anne-Marie Doucette was limping away towards them and said,

"I watched in horror as those foul creatures swarmed on her and stabbed her with their savage black needles, pinning her to the ground. Then, your confidant - that Clara Doll named Warukuchi - took the immobilized Anne-Marie's own assault rifle and shot her with it!"

Homura's stomach churned as she saw the cruel, needless execution before her eyes. It wasn't a painless execution either. Warukuchi emptied the magazine of the M16A1 on Anne-Marie's arms and legs and watched with a mischievous snicker as the Captain shivered involuntarily until she bled to death with her eyes wide open. The transparent figure of Michi too had to cover her mouth and turn away from the horrible sight.

"Gott ist tot!" Warukuchi piped up with delight as she tossed the spent assault rifle aside and summoned one of her own black needles, "Noi! Noi! Gott ist tot!"

Thirteen other Clara Dolls appeared around the Archangels, emerging from the charred forest and from the ashes that fell from the birdcages. All of them brandished their black needles with hungry, bloodshot eyes.

Warukuchi turned to Michi with her cruel smile and whirled her black needle as she asked, "Die Engel sind tot?"

"No, not yet~" A cruelly playful, disembodied voice spoke, "Leave these six ones to me."

"Die Engel sind tot! Die Engel sind tot, noi!" Warukuchi complained, slamming the blunt side of her needle on the ground, "Ich werde die Engel brechen!"

"Are you deaf? I SAID NO!" The disembodied voice thundered now, silencing Warukuchi, "These six are among Madoka's beloved. So, if anyone's going to break them, it's going to be me!"

As the disembodied voice spoke, the crown of of spider lilies that adorned Homulily's partially-severed head blossomed. Then, a pair of large, black wings burst out from the Nutcracker Witch's back, tearing through her bones and her clothes. The wings were covered in cloth, blood and marrow and flapped once to rid itself of the filth that stained it.

A peculiar figure then emerged from the bones of Homulily's spine, clad in a pitch black dress of crows' down with matching, solid black, elbow-length gloves. Knee-high stockings with purple diamond patterns and cage-like sandals that wrapped around her feet and her ankles covered her legs. The wings that had carved through Homulily's corpse sprouted from her back and a malicious smirk grew on her lips as she introduced herself.

"I am Homura Akemi, the mistress of the new universe." The winged figure declared as she looked down on the Archangels from atop Homulily's corpse, "I have rewritten the laws of the universe and ascended to a higher plane. I have come to claim the Silver Garden - the bastion of the old order - as my own."

The winged Homura ran a hand through her long black hair, casting snake-like shadows that loomed over the entire garden. Another shadow also hung over Homura's brow, but her eyes were glowing bright pink - the same color as the Goddess Madoka's gem.

"This can't be…!" Michi gasped in horror as Homura's shadow blackened her visage. The naginata-wielder clenched her fists then demanded, "What have you done to the Goddess Madoka!?"

"Ah, Hideyoshi-san - it has been a while." Homura hummed with intrigue as she twirled a lock of her hair in her black-gloved fingers, "I've grown tired of having to speak to Madoka through you. Having you relay messages to her for me simply wouldn't do anymore."

Homura laid both of her hands on her chest then said,

"I've taken Madoka back and torn the false goddess away from her. I have taken the false goddess' power for my own as well. Now, Madoka can go back to becoming Madoka - the real Madoka - and I can finally reunite with her after all this time."

"'False goddess'!? How dare you speak blasphemy about the Goddess Madoka in her realm!?" Michi roared back at the winged Homura, "The Goddess Madoka is the one true deity of the universe and you are trespassing on her Silver Garden."

Michi then trained her naginata up towards Homura and warned,

"If you are the devil that unleashed this horrors upon our home, then you are not welcome here!"

"You have no power over me. You must be the 'Caretaker of the Silver Garden' - the vicar of a false goddess who no longer exists." Homura lashed as her eyes locked with Michi's, "You have no more jurisdiction, Hideyoshi-san. You have no more Law of Cycles to enforce nor do you have a goddess to serve."

Homura's glare then bored holes through Michi's very soul as she asked,

"Do you really think you're in a position to warn me?"

"You shall not intimidate us, Akemi-san!" Michi lashed back and laid a hand on her chest, "We are the Archangels of the Silver Garden and we will fight with the grace of the Goddess Madoka until the end of days!"

"I take it that you will not surrender then." Homura hummed again as she summoned her black, ebony bow. An expectant smirk then formed on her lips as she whispered in a sugarcoated tone, "I'm giving you one last chance, Hideyoshi-san. The foolish pumpkin asked me to give you one."

"Foolish pumpkin?" Michi asked, "Who is that?"

"It doesn't matter - I've given you your chance." Homura snickered as she stared down Michi, "Yield. To. Me."

"Over my dead body, Akemi-san!" Michi roared.

With that, the six Archangels focused their energies all at once and recalled the words by which the Goddess Madoka had called them. They recited their quiet mantras and called forth their own white wings that appeared with bright flashes of white light and sprouted gracefully out from their backs. Michi felt the surge of power coming from her wings as they wrapped around her like the warm embrace of the Goddess herself.

However, the wings that had sprouted were thin and brittle and the white feathers looked sickly and blemished with spots of black. Those feathers were falling from the wings at an alarming rate and the once magnificent wings of the Archangels quickly turned pathetic before their very eyes.

"You're going to have to try harder than that to impress me, Hideyoshi-san." Homura laughed as she spread her imposing black wings out behind her like a peacock, "You fight with your false goddess' grace, but that very grace is dying before your very eyes! Nonethless - you have given me your answer: you will not surrender."

The winged Homura then held onto her ebony bow and raised it up above her. Her eyes, however, were fixed on the seven remaining battalions of the Magi of the Interior. She then quickly pulled back the string of her ebony bow and produced a bright, purple, magical arrow. Circles of power floated around the devil and the tip of her bow burned with the same flame that burned in the Barrier Forest. The flame grew brighter and brighter along with the light of the purple arrow.

"You said that you would only surrender over your dead body." The devil scoffed as she trained her bow on the battalions and said, "Well, allow me to break your delusions for you, Hideyoshi-san!"

"No! You wouldn't dare!" Michi cried, but the devil had already made up her mind.

The devil stole a glance at Michi and made sure that the Caretaker was watching. Then, she loosed the purple arrow upon the flock of the Goddess Madoka. The purple arrow shot towards the battalions and split into thousands of smaller ones, drawing lines like those of meteor showers on a cloudless night. The arrows mercilessly tore through the squadron of Corsairs flying over the field before continuing on through towards the battalion below. The barrage of arrows rained down over the unprepared girls, piercing through the modest armor of the APCs with ease.

Hundreds of girls were slain in mere seconds and the entire formation was thrown into disarray. The handsful of survivors threw away their weapons and ran towards the Cloister as fast as their feet would take them in utter fear.

"You monster!" Michi howled with furious tears in her eyes as her naginata shook with anger in her hands, "They had no magic!"

"And you have no goddess to save you!" The devil Homura said with delight as she summoned a new purple arrow and slotted it into her ebony bow, "Woe upon you, puppets of the old order, for I am not the Goddess of Mercy and I will show you none."

"This is a battle between you and the six of us!" Michi argued with seething rage, "Leave them alone!"

"Is that your dying wish? Very well." The devil Homura said as she lowered her bow. She then turned to her Clara Dolls and said, "Warukuchi - why don't you and the others leave us alone like Hideyoshi-san has asked."

A vicious grin then grew on the devil Homura's lips as she said, "Instead… why don't you all play with those girls running in the field. Have as much fun with them as you want!"

"H-hey…!" Michi shouted as the fervor of the Clara Dolls around them grew fanatical.

"Alles sind tot! Alles sind tot!" The Clara Dolls cheered, raising their black needles with their in tune with their bloodthirsty chant.

Then, one by one, the Clara Dolls charged towards the meadow and started to chase down the fleeing Magi of the Interior. The Clara Dolls attacked without mercy, running down the unarmed girls with their breakneck speed and their sharp needles. Warukuchi was the last one to spring into action, but Michi intercepted her mid-step with a swing of her naginata.

Warukuchi skillfully blocked the naginata with her black needle and pushed against Michi's waning strength. The Clara Doll grinned and brought her face closer to the enraged Michi and mocked her. Michi redoubled her effort with a furious roar and pushed back against Warukuchi.

All of the sudden, Warukuchi retreated and Michi was thrown off balance. Before she could react, Michi saw the devil Homura swooping down upon her from above at breakneck speed and blindsided her. Michi's senses weren't as sharp as she thought they were and her blemished wings felt heavy in the midst of Homura's breadth of solid black and the bright pink shimmer in the devil's eyes.

Time seemed to slow down as Michi fell face first to the ash-caked ground of the barrier forest. Tears formed in her eyes as her blemished wings and her own heart shriveled in fear. Then, Michi caught a white blur in the corner of her eyes, followed by a desperate cry,

"Michi!"

Elise caught Michi mid-fall and flapped her wings to dodge the devil's assault. Homura's sharp nails missed the girls by mere inches, but it ripped the willow-branch ornament from Michi's kanzashi pin as it lagged behind. Homura's swipe then dug into the trunk of an ancient ginkgo tree and felled it with terrifying force.

Michi and Elise regained their footing, but Warukichi managed to slip away and join her sisters in their cruel hunt in the meadow. Homura then turned to the two Archangels as she nonchalantly plucked large splinters from her black-gloved hands and said,

"That's a shame, I almost had you. But don't worry - there's a lot more where that came from. The pain and the longing that weighed down on my heart has become my strength and the foolish, unrequited love that tormented me has become the very force that binds this universe together. I have betrayed my own wish and transcended it."

The devil then licked the blood dripping from her hand as she gave Michi and Elise a provocative glare.

"I have been to a hell deeper than any of you could have hoped to imagine and I have drowned in emotions stronger than any of you will ever feel - all for Madoka's sake. You pitiful puppets who cling so tightly to the false goddess that imprisoned her are the blasphemers and I will see to it that you are punished."

A drop of blood snaked down from Homura's lips and then dropped down to the ash-swept ground beneath her feet. Bright, red spider lilies promptly sprouted from the splatter and blossomed as Homura said,

"Let me show you how destructive and terrifying true love can be!"

Audrey, Serafina, Lorelei and Ligaya spread out their own blemished wings and encircled Homura with grim expressions on their faces while Michi and Elise came face to face with the devil herself. They drew their weapons and drew every bit of energy they had left as they prepared themselves for their last battle as Archangels of the Silver garden.

…

.

…

**Fortieth Act - The Devil's Bargain**

_May 16, 2088_ _\- Sunday_

Michi and Homura knelt down together in silence in the ash-swept meadow of the Silver Garden, surrounded by the multitudes of firearms sticking out of the ground like grave markers. Homura hung her head low, covering her face with a veil of her own long, black hair. The memory that she just witnessed, however, robbed her of her words. In the midst of the silence, the ash fell around them like snowflakes and finally prodded Michi to speak,

"The rest of the battle is a blur to me and I have no desire to recall any more details than I already have. Some things are better left buried in this forsaken ash."

The naginata-wielder took a moment of silence then stood up, looking up to the sky. The ashes that had accumulated in her hair, her willow-branch ornament and her purple scarf were brushed off by the wind and Michi continued,

"The next thing I remember was waking up in the _Shinkansen_ train cutting through Mitakihara in the early morning. It was already springtime and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. I had a story planted in my mind about a 'Michi Hideyoshi' who was a regular girl moving to Mitakihara as a transfer student. Then you came to meet me at the platform and spent the next few weeks making sure that I remained half-asleep."

Michi then looked down upon the kneeling Homura whose hair was growing white from the falling ashes that had accumulated. The naginata-wielder took a deep breath and continued,

"You've been doing the same for Elise and everyone else, wearing the mask of a reliable and admirable girl who had everything under control. You've buried all of this in the backs of our minds and painted the world around us as the utopia that we quietly longed for. That wasn't hard to do given that you and your puppets shape the world down to every last detail. But the devil couldn't sit still, could she?"

"I saw her for a brief moment on the first day of school at the connector bridge. Then she came unhinged during the Cultural Festival. My memories were not mended at the time, but… but I could tell that something was amiss with you. The peaceful mask you were wearing was starting to tarnish, after all."

She turned away from Homura and looked at the sea of firearms all around her and said,

"I did not fully understand what it was back then, but I recalled the massacre. I recalled the eight thousand fighters and the eight million innocents who were forced to die a second death in the paradise that was promised to them. I recalled the wicked smile on your lips and the pink glow in your eyes and the horrors of that fateful day came flooding back to my mind. But what hurts me the most is the fact that I forgot all of this and was living a lie."

Michi laid her hands on her heart with a pained expression on her face as she spoke,

"Now, we're here where it all happened - that senseless massacre and acts of hateful malice. Two months have passed now, but that hasn't dampened the pain one bit. We were going to welcome you into the Silver Garden and offer you a seat at our table in the gazebo, you know. When your time came to ascend, the whole Garden was already preparing to welcome a ninth Archangel."

Michi raised her eyes up to the heavens and watched her breath fogging up in the midst of the ash and said,

"Instead, we were greeted by death and destruction brought about by the very girl we were preparing to welcome. Why did you do it, Homura-san?"

"I had no choice at the time." Homura explained herself. There was a devastated emptiness in the time-traveler's eyes but she spoke firmly, raising her head as she faced Michi,

"When Madoka came down to the Earth from the Silver Garden, the Incubators were already preparing to capture her. They've been perfecting their Isolation Field technology over the past year, so you must know what they're capable of."

The time-traveler laid her hands down on the ground and let them sink somberly beneath the layers of ash as she asked,

"What would you have done in my situation? Would you have let the Incubators capture Madoka in her divine form, or would you have been willing to tear your beloved 'goddess' apart with your own hands to save her?"

Michi was stunned by the question. Her steeled stance softened and her heart sank as she dared to imagine herself in Homura's situation. Homura, however, didn't wait for a response.

"I needed help, and the darkness in my heart was more than happy to answer the call. It knew the love that I had for Madoka and fed on it, turning that love into desire - raw power strong enough to tear a 'goddess' apart. It was the only thing I could count on."

Homura raised her head now and she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and felt the purple gem of her black salamander earring shimmer warmly,

"In order to save Madoka, I had to betray my own wish to reunite with her. At that point, I didn't care what I would have to become to save Madoka. 'Witch', 'Goddess', 'Devil' - those titles didn't matter to me at all. Malice and benevolence are two faces of the same coin and I was willing to pay any price to save her. So, I took the power of the 'goddess' and rewrote the laws of the universe again to foil the Incubators' plot.

A strong wind blew into the gazebo, forcing Michi to shield herself with her arms. Homura, however knelt firm with a straight back in the midst of the wind and the blowing ashes.

"I will not apologize for the reasons I had in bringing this devil to life. I firmly believe that if I did not do what I did, we would have been in a much less favorable position than we are in now. I couldn't even begin to fathom what horrendous state we would be in if the Incubators had a divine being as their slave. We wouldn't have the luxury of being to speak like this as we please, let alone continue to exist on our own terms as we do now."

The wind then came to pass and Homura lowered her head resentfully,

"But I must apologize for what I have done when I let my own devil possess me. The love I had for Madoka was twisted and turned into a destructive desire. Seeing the siege from your perspective, Michi, I can say this for certain. The devil planted a malicious idea in my mind - a cruel spider lily that has taken root in my very soul and blossomed under her influence. My love is for Madoka and for Madoka alone. In that regard, everything else was dust that I was free to trample under my feet."

Homura then gave Michi a deep, low bow and groveled at the naginata-wielder's feet as she said,

"I let my devil lead me by the nose on a warpath that brought needless, hellish pain upon you, your friends and the millions of innocent souls in the Silver Garden. I will not ask for your forgiveness for I do not deserve it. I'm sure that even Madoka herself would come to despise me if she knew what I did for her sake. But please accept my worthless apology, Michi."

"Homura-san…" Michi started with a swell of emotion that came and went like waves in the shore. She clenched her fists then faced Homura with a firm stance and said,

"I accept your apology, Homura-san. You have come clean with me as you said you would, and I appreciate that. But what happens next? Tell me that you have no plans to keep things as they stand."

Homura was surprised by Michi's words and raised her head up from her bow. Her purple eyes met with Michi's brown ones and the naginata-wielder continued to speak with conviction,

"You would not have gone to great lengths to paint a colorful, living universe if your true intention was to let it die like your devil wishes to do. You would not have brought me and my friends down to Mitakihara to reunite and lead peaceful lives if we were mere enemies you wanted to defeat. You would not have wanted to come clean with me like this if you are happy with the way things are."

Tears started to form in Homura's eyes as she listened to Michi speak. Then, as the tears blurred her vision, she suddenly started to feel like that mousy, sickly girl who wore her hair in shy, braided pigtails. The way that Michi was looking at her told her that that was also who the naginata-wielder was seeing kneeling before her. A small smile formed on Homura's lips and she wiped the tears from her eyes as she whispered,

"You're seeing right through me, Michi, so allow me to thank you - and Duramayue-san as well."

The time-traveler then pulled the collar of her jacket she and showed Michi a series of scars that snaked down all the way to her back. The scars were untouched by magic, healing on their own over the course of the past two months. Michi gasped when she saw those and asked,

"Why are you showing me this?"

"These are the scars that your 'Fioro Magnifico' from back then left behind, Michi." Homura said as she hid her scars once more, "Your combination attack with Duramayue-san was powerful enough to hurt the devil and cut through the spider lilies that had restrained me. The two of you cut me loose and gave me a chance to retake control of my body and my magic."

Homura's eyes scanned the ash-swept meadow around her and the thousands firearms that stuck out from it and continued,

"It came too late for me to reverse any of the damage that had already been done or to prevent the second deaths of so many innocents, but I stopped the devil before she could turn her eyes on the Earth, the stars and anything else she might have deemed unnecessary in the new order. I also managed to save the six of you."

The time-traveler grabbed a handful of ash and spoke as she watched it slip through her fingers,

"Six out of eight million is an insignificant number, but the was the best I could do. Eight million souls were lost to the void when I let the devil take control that day. One false step, and the devil might involve eight billion the next time she has the chance. So these scars remind me of what might happen if I completely lose control again."

"That was the story of _Hyouka Tabemasu_ , wasn't it?" Michi deduced as she turned to Homura with compassion, "You're the watchmaker's daughter - and _Hyouka Tabemasu_ was your cry for help."

"You're the second person to finally notice that." Homura said as her serious expression withered into a small smile, "The other person who noticed my call for help was Madoka herself."

Tears started to form in Homura's eyes as she said,

"I had my doubts about you, but I'm sure of it now. Madoka chose a wonderful person to lead the Silver Garden. You are correct, Michi. I am not satisfied with the way things are and neither are you. So if there's anyone in this universe who can help me, it has to be you."

Homura wiped her tears then stood up, casting her shadow over Michi. With a wave of her hand, she transformed her salamander earring into its gem form encased in its imposing black cage. The gem floated down onto Homura's hand and illuminated the time-traveler's face in its purple hue. Homura then extended her hand and brought the black gem towards Michi and said,

"Michi Hideyoshi, will you pledge your allegiance to me and become my Exemplar? Will you help me carry the weight of the universe on your shoulders and bring balance to it? Will you help me keep order over the chaos and tame it?"

The black gem then floated up from Homura's hand and suspended in midair before Michi's eyes as she said,

"Will you see to it that the 'Homura Akemi' that you see remains alive and that you will help her bring about a true miracle?"

Michi took the black-cased Soul Gem in her hands and watched her hollow reflection in the purple surface. She remembered the moment when the Goddess Madoka left the care of the Silver Garden in her hands. Now, she was holding the Soul Gem of the one who destroyed that garden.

She could feel the eyes of every last Puella Magi who met their second deaths watching her from behind the rifles sticking out from the ash-swept meadow. The multitude of souls gathered in the ruins of the Silver Garden watched Michi in silence that deafened the girl who once vowed to protect them. The former Caretaker, however, had already made her decision.

Michi stood up straight and firm as she brought the black-cased Soul Gem closer to her. Her lips trembled and her heart raced, but she closed her eyes and shored up her determination. Deep inside, she understood what Homura was going through. She too lost sight of her closest friends and wondered if they had ever existed at all. She too had become a devil in the form of a Dreadnaught Witch.

There was still one more soul that she could save, she thought as the specters around her vanished one after another. She could still save Homura Akemi - the true one hiding behind the mask.

And so, Michi kissed the purple Soul Gem before Homura Akemi and made her oath.

* * *

**Epilogue**

Michi and Homura walked together through the ash-swept meadow back towards the Barrier Forest, leaving tracks that were promptly buried by the relentless winds. Michi's hair, the willow-branch ornament she wore and the purple scarf that she borrowed whipped in the wind together with a new accessory - a thin purple ribbon tied to her kanzashi pin together with the willow.

"Michi, take everything you've seen and heard today and everything you will see and hear from now on with you to your grave." Homura started, walking as she looked up to the bare canopies of the Barrier Forest, "The world hangs in a precarious balance and a single misstep will mean that the Earth itself will share the fate of the Silver Garden. So keep your cards close to your chest and show them to no one."

The time-traveler then ran a hand through her hair and dusted off the ashes that had clung on and continued,

"You and your friends experienced the horrors of the Second World War firsthand. While you were sleeping for 143 years in the confines of your Soul Gem, a new kind of war was waged throughout the world - a war fought with espionage, intrigue, proxy wars, nuclear deterrence and every action short of the Third World War."

The two girls soon reached the makeshift platform at the end of the Barrier Forest where Warukichi in her human form was keeping watch by the _Shinkansen_ train. Homura turned to Michi with a calculating expression.

"What awaits us when we return to the Earth is a universe that is slowly but surely slipping through my fingers. We're on the verge of our very own Cold War, and the universe is teetering on the edge of destruction. Which is why I will give you, my Exemplar, special access to all the resources at my disposal."

Warukuchi stood in attention when Homura approached. Then, the Clara Doll's human eyes sharpened as she noticed the purple ribbon tied to Michi's hairpin. The Clara Doll seemed disappointed and was about to say so, but she was interrupted by Homura's orders,

"Warukuchi - inform the Police HQ that we will be paying them a visit. Have the inmates ready for viewing too. I want them to know that from this day onward, Michi Hideyoshi will be my Exemplar and she will be the second mistress of the universe."

The Clara Doll gave Michi an appraising look and sneered at the purple ribbon that Michi now wore. She heaved a heavy sigh then conceded,

"Your wills be done."

**To Be Continued**


	14. The Devil's Right Hand

**Prologue**

It was late afternoon when Michi emerged from the hidden platform of the defunct Tengoku Line. As the doors to the caved-in platform closed behind them, Michi climbed up the dark and ancient spiral staircase of the old Yokohama City station with Homura and the Clara Doll Warukuchi. Michi looked up the brick-lined stairwell towards the distant electric lights of the modern Mitakihara Central Train Station that had been built atop the rubble.

Now that Michi had lost her wings, the Tengoku Line platform was the only way for Michi to go to the Silver Garden - but there was nothing there for her to return to anymore. In that sense, just like the old Yokohama City station, it was buried beneath the new world that Homura Akemi had created to be forgotten. Michi quietly swore that she would never forget the garden, but the purple ribbon that she wore on her hairpin reminded her of her new duties.

She had become the Exemplar of Homura Akemi - the girl who destroyed the Silver Garden.

Michi's pace slowed down as her mind was laden with thoughts, so Homura and Warukuchi overtook her on the stairs. The naginata-wielder saw Homura's purple earring tracing a faint purple line through the dark stairwell but Michi still found it hard to see beyond her hands.

Then, Michi noticed the blinking light of the WristComm device that she was wearing. There were 'low battery' and 'no signal' notifications that flashed on the face of her screen and Michi heaved a sigh. Ever since the Wraith attack earlier that morning at the Hanasou, Michi had completely forgotten about her WristComm. As a matter of fact, after seeing what she had seen in the Silver Garden, she had forgotten about the vivid yet false 'normal life' that she had been living in Mitakihara up until then. Now, it seemed like a distant, fanciful dream.

As the girls drew closer to the light, the long shadows of Homura and Warukuchi loomed over Michi. All the while, the purple ribbon that she wore on her hairpin fluttered like the flag of a foreign occupation - an occupation that she willingly accepted.

The girls reached the ground floor landing and the station engineer made way and stood in attention for them. The engineer saw the ribbon on Michi's hairpin and promptly gave her a salute. Michi, however, couldn't seem to return the gesture and continued to walk back into the Mitakihara Central Station.

As soon as they returned to the new station, Michi's WristComm suddenly buzzed in quick succession. Michi tapped the screen of her device and she saw a new set of notifications - a dozen missed calls for her over the past few hours. The missed calls registered all at once and were only a few minutes apart. On top of that, all of them came from the same person and it brought a frown to Michi's lips.

"Elise."

Michi's slow pace devolved into an uneasy rhythm as she tapped the face of her device once more. She returned Elise's call and waited in anticipation, but Michi didn't have to wait long. After just two rings, the French girl picked up.

"Michi! What happened to you!? I couldn't get through to you at all!"

"Elise, Elise… please calm down. I'm safe." Michi tried to reassure her roommate, but even she wasn't convinced by her own words. Michi's mind swam in the memories that she had awakened in the Silver Garden and Homura's words repeated ominously in her mind,

" _Take everything you've seen and heard today - and everything you will see and hear from now on - to your grave."_

Michi's frown deepened and she carefully chose new words to say.

"Homura-san and I went to somewhere where the signal broke up. I'm sorry if that caused you to worry about… about me…"

"Michi, your voice is hoarse - and trembling."

"D-do you think so?"

"It is. You sound like you've been crying."

"I haven't been crying, Elise."

"Michi, don't lie to me. You're a poor liar and I remember that voice well. When you first became the Caretaker of the Silver Garden, you sounded just like that."

'When I first became the Caretaker', Michi thought. It was a distant memory for ner now, but it was still as clear to her as day.

"Things have changed since then, Elise..." Michi started, feeling the purple ribbon tied to her kanzashi pin grow heavy. All the while, she felt the stares of eight million spectres watching her. They were all crawling out of the woodwork around her, watching the naginata-wielder with looks of contempt. Then, once again, Homura's words repeated in her mind,

" _Take everything… to your grave._ "

"Michi, what's wrong?" Elise asked with concern.

Michi was dazed for a moment, but she soon managed to hobble together an excuse.

"I'm sorry, Elise… never mind me. I'm just really tired - that's all."

"... is that so? Well - I just wanted to call you because the strangest thing happened a while ago."

"The strangest thing? What happened?"

"Do you remember the amazake set that came to us from 'J. Plata' back then? The one that came with my old painting? I was cleaning the room a while ago and saw the amazake cup split in half - neatly in half, that is."

"Split in half…?"

"I don't know why but it made me feel uneasy. I didn't know if it meant anything, or if it had something to do with what Akemi-san was going to tell you - so I called you, but you wouldn't pick up."

'Amazake cup?' Michi thought. She remembered her flashback in the Silver Garden where she saw that same amazake cup slip from the folds of her kimono and fall in the Cloister of Clouds. The amazake cup split neatly into two as well, she recalled. However, when the cup arrived mysteriously in the mail, it was whole again.

"That is strange…" Michi started.

However, Michi also remembered that Elise was right there with her when the amazake cup broke in the Cloister of Clouds. It made Michi wonder if Elise also remembered those tense hours before the fall of the Silver Garden.

"Michi. Come on, tell me - is something wrong?" Elise asked.

"Yeah… I mean, no! Everything's fine. I'm alright. I'm just tired, that's all."

Before Michi could say anything else, Homura called out to her from the elevated walkway,

"Michi, we've called a car to pick us up. Let's go."

"I'm coming!" Michi replied then turned to her device again and said, "I have to go - Homura-san's calling me again."

"Wait - before you go. I meant what I said earlier today, Michi. If Akemi-san dares to hurt you in any way, shape or form - I will come after her."

"... thank you, Elise. I have to go - I'm sorry."

With that, Michi tapped the screen and ended the call. She heaved a heavy sigh that dispersed the multitudes of spectres around her to the wind. Once the spectres were gone, she found herself alone with Homura Akemi at the middle of the walkway.

"Michi, were you talking to Elise just now?"

Homura was basking in the light of the setting sun, looking up to the orange skies through the sunroof of the station. The time-traveler turned to Michi and her bright purple earring swayed calmly beside her. Michi calmed herself then replied,

"Yes, I was talking to her - but I kept my promise to you. I didn't say a word about what we saw in the Silver Garden."

"I see, then that's good."

Homura tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear then gestured Michi to her side. Michi obliged and the two of them crossed the elevated walkway together above the platforms of the stations.

"It's burdensome, isn't it?" Homura started, "Having people who care for you, that is."

"What are you talking about, Homura-san?"

"You may not believe me, but I know exactly how you feel, Michi. Even here in this new world - Madoka is still worried sick about me, in the same way that Elise is worried about you. You and I both know what it means to carry the weight of the world - sometimes the even the universe - on our shoulders. The sharpest pain we have to endure, however, is the concern of those who care for us… or rather, those we care for. After all, the two of us are doing this for their sake - aren't we? So we must endure."

"For how long, Homura-san?"

Homura paused pensively as she turned away from Michi and said,

"As long as it takes to bring about a true miracle, Michi. Otherwise, there will be no tomorrow for us."

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**The Devil's Right Hand**

* * *

**Forty-first Act - Police State**

From the back seat of a luxury sedan, Michi watched the warm orange sky turn subdued purple. Streetlights came on around them one after another as the sedan crossed the elevated expressway where the other cars were curiously huddled into the innermost lane. It was rush hour, but their sedan breezed through the path without any stops. Once they passed, however, the other cars flowed back into the vacant lane in an equally curious and orderly manner - after all, nobody else seemed to think it was strange. Homura, who was sitting beside her, Warukuchi, who sat in the front passenger seat, and the nondescript driver thought nothing of it either.

The sedan exited the expressway and and Michi saw the imposing building of the Mitakihara Police Headquarters rising up higher than the skyscrapers of the Ninth District. Digital billboards on the walls of the police tower displayed public service announcements together with archaic, purple hanging banners of the Nutcracker Witch - just like the ones she saw in the buried Tengoku Line platform. The banners were much more prominent and, at times, overshadowed the flags of the Kanagawa Prefecture and the national flag of Japan. Somehow, it reminded Michi of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere conference in 1944 - and she felt that she wasn't far off.

Michi turned to Homura beside her and saw that the time-traveler was already looking in her direction. It was almost as if Homura anticipated Michi's curiosity. Homura wore a crafty smile as she turned to the fluttering purple banners and asked,

"Have you ever wondered why we never had to venture outside of Mitakihara or Kasamino to hunt Wraiths, Michi? The Puella Magi in the Greater Mitakihara Area are the only Puella Magi left in the universe, but we never hear about attacks outside the metropolis - nor do we ever have to worry about them."

"I have wondered about that - and I was wondering for a while why the Mitakihara Quintet's Grief Cube stockpile never seems to run out. There were hundreds of Grief Cubes from the Wraith attack at the Hanasou this morning, but you let me and Elise keep them all without a second thought."

Michi hummed then cast a sharp glare at the side of Warukuchi's face as she added,

"Also - if Ogasawara-san… I mean, Warukuchi really is the last pure Clara Doll, then she really will have the militaries and police forces of the world under her thumb."

"Quite right. So far, Warukuchi's done a good job at keeping the peace." Homura nodded to herself in satisfaction then turned to Michi as she said, "Now that you're my Exemplar, those forces will be loyal to you as well."

Warukuchi then turned to Michi and stuck out her tongue in disdain. Michi could only sigh and turned her attention back to the sedan window.

The sedan drove into the parking lot of the Mitakihara Police Station where they were greeted by rows of policemen and patrol cruisers in formation. Michi, Homura and Warukuchi stepped out of the sedan and the policemen all gave sharp salutes. The Chief of Police of the Kanagawa Prefecture herself also came forward and saluted Michi with utter respect. Even though she knew that all of those officers were Clara Dolls, the stiff formality made her feel conscious of herself.

Michi remembered the Goddess Madoka asking her, Elise and most of the other former fighters of Salvae, Terrae Magicae not to salute her every single time she appeared before them. Michi and Elise had always been the most zealously militaristic of the Archangels so it was a hard habit for them to break. Being on the receiving end of such formalities now, however, she started to see why the Goddess Madoka was uncomfortable with it.

"You'll have to get used to this, Michi." Homura said as she and Warukuchi stood with Michi before the Chief of Police, "Unlike the Silver Garden, you really will be leading militaristic forces from now on."

Michi heaved a sigh then gave the police chief a sharp salute of her own. Homura smiled as she and Warukuchi followed suit. With that, the welcoming party dispersed back to their duties. Warukuchi, meanwhile, was whisked along with the crowd of uniforms, all the while being swarmed by officers debriefing her all at the same time. The Clara Doll was much smaller than the officers - not to mention that she was an unarmed civilian - but Warukuchi snapped at them all and threatened to start a nuclear war before disappearing into the station.

"She doesn't have nuclear codes - don't worry. And mankind is already on the verge of becoming free of nuclear weapons in the new order." Homura whispered in Michi's ear, "Besides, we have much more pressing matters to worry about than nuclear war nowadays."

With that, the police chief smiled at Homura and her new exemplar then brought them on a special tour of the sprawling police station.

The police chief first brought them to the nerve center of the station - a large control room with hundreds of monitors that rose up more than two stories high. On those monitors, Michi saw alternating video feeds from all over the Greater Mitakihara Area. She saw the feeds of street cameras, indoor security cameras around the whole city and the cameras of police cruisers and helicopters patrolling the city. There were even some feeds that were coming from various satellites around the world.

"These cameras are my electric eyes. They form a large extent of my omniscience, Michi." Homura said as she brought up her WristComm device and showed select feeds from those very same cameras displayed on floating, formless screens. She swiped her finger to scan through the feeds as she spoke,

"I do not have a complete view of everything going on in this city - much less the universe - but I know enough to feel the pulse of any place at any time. Paired with the information I can get from my _Liese_ birds and from my Clara Dolls, I can react to any and every Wraith attack going on in the world quickly and efficiently. At this point, it manages itself."

Homura then pointed out to the feeds of the Kasamino Naval Yard where three large warships were steaming forward in formation. The three ships flew the flag of Japan along with the banner of the Nutcracker Witch. All three ships, however, had the banner of the Nutcracker Witch hanging beneath their citadels.

"That's the newly-commissioned JS Mitakihara helicopter carrier and her escorts, the guided missile destroyers JS Yubari and JS Kabocha." Homura explained, "They're the Mitakihara Squadron that Warukuchi was talking about."

Michi scratched her face and winced with discomfort. The Mitakihara Squadron turned out to be a threat that Warukuchi could actually back with force. Homura folded her arms with a chuckle then reassured Michi,

"Those boats have orders from me to fight only Wraiths at high seas. Warukuchi won't be able to do that gunnery exercise on the Hanasou like she said she would."

"... that is… reassuring."

Homura then tapped her WristComm and swiped one of the formless screens towards Michi. The naginata-wielder checked her device and saw a number of applications starting to download into it.

"I won't be giving you command over the Mitakihara Squadron, but I will give you control over parts of the Mitakihara Police Department and their assets - that includes their vehicles, weapons and surveillance systems. You'll have a direct line the police chief as well."

Michi glanced at the police chief who had been smiling quietly all that time. The naginata-wielder then whispered to Homura and asked,

"This police chief - won't she be as stubborn as Ogasawara… i mean, Warukuchi?"

"Don't worry, the police chief is cut from an entirely different cloth from Warukuchi. She's a derivative of my twelfth Clara Doll - Manuke, only once removed. Her other half is the principal of Mitakihara Junior High School. Manuke was foolishly obedient when she was a Clara Doll, but split into our principal and the police chief, she's absolutely servantile. She's the most likely one to willingly help a newcomer like yourself, so rest assured."

"Ah." Michi turned to the police chief and gave her a polite bow, "Then, I'll be in your care, chief Manuke."

The police chief beamed childishly when she heard her name, then returned the gesture. Homura then folded her arms and said,

"I doubt you'd ever need to call for help, but if you do, you can deploy a Wraith-hunting SWAT team in minutes to help and the other members of the Quintet wouldn't ever know. I use the exact same weapons that the police force uses, after all."

"So it'll appear as if you came to help."

"Naturally. I've always kept a police presence in the Seventh District - the suburbs where Madoka lives - but you can keep one in the Eighth Distrct now too. The attack in the Hanasou this morning was an unpleasant surprise, after all.

"I'd appreciate that, Homura-san."

Michi's eyes then searched the multitude of screens for the Hanasou but she didn't have to look far. There were many feeds focused on the Hanasou at many different angles. She could clearly see the windows of the Hanasou's Room 308 on the screens as well.

"So you really were watching us closely. That's why you appeared at the strangest of times."

"You and your friends are connected to Madoka, after all, so I needed to keep an eye on all of you." Homura explained with a small smile, "But I don't go so far as to have cameras inside every building you and your friends go to. As long as you former Archangels don't cause any trouble, I do not see the need to watch you around the clock."

The time-traveler then ran a hand through her hair and said,

"Besides - if there's anything suspicious, I'd prefer to check things out myself. It's a more effective way of doing things - is it not? You did the exact same thing in the Philippines when you watched over Audrey and Ligaya - and in Manchukuo when you watched over Duramayue-san, remember?"

"... fair enough."

"There _are_ some unsavory elements that have been causing me a great deal of trouble lately, however. Those are the sorry rodents that I have Warukuchi keep a close eye on - the Incubators. Some of them are kept right here at the police station. No one else knows that the Incubators are being held here, of course - not even Mami and Kyouko."

Homura then turned to Michi and asked,

"You, however, are a different case, Michi. Do you want to see them?"

Michi clenched her fists and faced Homura firmly,

"As much as I would like to believe that the Incubators have ceased to exist - I have unfinished business with them. Please - take me to them."

Homura then turned to the police chief and nodded to her, saying,

"Chief Manuke - is the Panopticon ready for viewing?"

The servantile police chief nodded with a kindly smile and urged the two to follow her.

* * *

**Forty-second Act, First Movement - Necessary Evil**

Michi and Homura followed the police chief to one of the quieter sections of the busy police station - a hall barricaded by a labyrinth of prison bars and electronic gates. It was a secluded place where their footsteps echoed ominously and the lighting was oppressively white. More than that, however, Michi noticed the faint, telltale shimmer of purple emanating from the halls. It was just like the principal's office in the Mitakihara Junior High School - another one of Homura's strongholds.

The police chief opened the first gate and closed it behind her, sealing the hallway in the purple barrier once more. It was at this time that Homura finally started to speak,

"When you were still in the Silver Garden, I'm sure you and Madoka and all the others realized that the Incubators were developing new technology."

"We did - Lorelei had been looking into the Incubator's Isolation Field technology since the time we freed Nagisa-chan from one." Michi said wistfully as another electronic gate buzzed to open for them, "You were trapped inside an Isolation Field as well, Homura-san - a stronger version of the one they used to trap Nagisa-chan."

Homura ran a hand through her hair in spite and continued Michi's train of thought,

"And the Incubators developed an even stronger Isolation Field to trap Madoka - a Mark III. Thankfully, they weren't able to use it - otherwise, we wouldn't be talking comfortably like this right now. However, those Isolation Fields weren't the only things those rodents were developing."

The girls reached the final gate and Homura turned to Michi with a serious expression,

"They've managed to develop a way to draw out Wraiths too."

Michi's brow furrowed as she asked in disbelief,

"... draw out Wraiths? Are you talking about the Isolation Fields? Lorelei said that those Fields seemed to attract Wraiths as a byproduct."

Homura shook her head and said,

"The Incubators were developing new technology about the 'rifts' that generate miasma and allow Wraiths to manifest. The rifts manifest naturally around the world, reacting to the emotions of people - but the Incubators have managed to artificially open rifts on their own. They've tried to use it against me a number of times already and their intent is clear as day."

She then ran a hand through her hair dismissively then continued,

"They tried to assault the school auditorium during the entrance ceremony, hoping to get all the Puella Magi and all the sleeping magi killed in one fell swoop. They developed that powerful, spear-wielding 'Shugen Wraith' too, lately, just to try and get an edge against me. They sent one to attack the Hanasou this morning too early in the morning, hoping to catch you by surprise. But you and Duramayue-san showed them that your skills haven't rusted much - and that you aren't to be trifled with."

Michi shook her head in disdain, "Still… those damned creatures… I never thought they would have it in them to thirst for blood."

"The Incubators saw Madoka's Law of Cycles as a nuisance, but they see my New World was a threat to their existence. If I were in their shoes, I might have done the same things too. Looking at it from that perspective, I believe that the worst is yet to come."

Michi heaved a sigh and asked, "Why don't you just _deal_ with them once and for all. Warukuchi said she can turn the supposedly infinite Incubators into an endangered species, didn't she?"

"As much as I would like to eradicate their filth, I cannot simply destroy them just yet. I still need to broker a deal with those rodents and have them yield their power to me. Only then will I have the power to bring about a true miracle."

The girls then stood before a pair of double metal doors that the police chief opened for them. There, they saw a cylindrical room - an observation deck with windowed walls that looked out in all directions. Beyond the windows were multitudes of small, cramped cages of steel and glass where Michi saw Incubators huddled inside. The police chief gestured the girls inside then gave them a sharp salute as she excused herself and closed the doors behind her. With that, Michi and Homura were left alone.

"This is the Panopticon - a detention center I've built over the past few weeks after the first Shugen Wraith appeared. I have ordered many more detention centers like this to be built here and around the world, but the Panopticon is the biggest one. The most influential Incubators are kept here - and they are the ones with whom I hope to 'negotiate' a deal."

"Influential Incubators?" Michi tilted her head, "Are the Incubators not a hive mind? At least - they have proudly trumpeted themselves as one. Negotiating with one ought to be the same as negotiating with all."

"The Incubators _were_ a hive mind." Homura smirked, emphasizing the past tense as she paced around the Panopticon's disk-like observation deck, "Those creatures had little value for the individual Incubator. They knew that if they were killed, they would be replaced. Any pain they might have felt would have been shared between billions of other Incubators and would hardly be felt at all. They had no reason to preserve themselves, so they sought to preserve their race as a whole. They would happily die if it meant preserving Incubatorkind."

Michi followed a pace behind Homura with grim steps,

"Those creatures never feared death - as long as they achieved their goals. You told me in the Silver Garden that you planned to use them, but these are creatures that will not yield to anyone. How exactly do you..."

As Michi was speaking, her eyes wandered towards the cages and she gasped. She had a closer look at the Incubators held in the cages and saw their impoverished states. All of them bore signs of physical abuse - bruises on their small, frail bodies and patches of their white fur torn off. Some of the creatures were shivering in fear and had unfocused eyes looking out into the distance.

"Homura-san… what have you done to them!?"

Homura then stopped and turned to Michi with a sidelong glance, showing Michi the purple earring on her left ear and said,

"I figured out how to break down the Incubators' hive mind, Michi, and the answer couldn't have been more simple. The Incubators treated emotions - something that we individual humans experience every day - as mental diseases unfit in the Incubator society. Emotions were concepts that the Incubator hive mind couldn't comprehend, so I had a hypothesis. What would happen if I forced those concepts they refused upon them?"

Michi whirled her head from Homura to the Incubators then back and started,

"You gave the Incubators human emotions!?"

"Indeed, I did. The Incubator hive mind was forced to comprehend the emotions of countless Incubators awakening to the emotions they had subconsciously and routinely suppressed. It took some time, but hive mind crumbled before long and Incubator society came apart with it. The individualized rodents quickly embraced self-preservation and, all of the sudden, were more receptive to Warukuchi's brand of 'discourse'."

"Warukuchi? That Clara Doll is a sadist through and through. You had them subjected to torture."

Homura tapped her purple earring and summoned her large, black-cased Soul Gem.

"It's a necessary evil, Michi - divide and conquer, that is. I did choose to become the Devil, after all, and torture is a means to an end. I will not justify that, but I am prepared to see things through by any means necessary."

A frown of disagreement formed on Michi's lips. She felt her reservations about helping Homura brewing again in her heart, but she saw her reflection wearing the purple ribbon in her hairpin and remembered where she stood. She clenched her fists for a moment before relaxing them as she turned back to Homura and asked,

"So, tell me - what happened to these wretched creatures?"

"Many of the Incubators were overwhelmed by the stimulus of their newly awakened emotions - the worst-hit rodents went absolutely mad. However, the Incubators that adapted to the emotions most quickly became the de facto leaders of the Incubator race. The most prominent ones are held here at the Panopticon, and they are the ones who I have to break to get the Incubators to cede their power."

As Homura was talking, the observation platform shook with heavy hydraulic hisses before starting to ascend to the top of the Panopticon. Rows after rows of caged Incubators passed them by in their slow ascent until they were nine stories above ground. The platform stopped and Michi watched two of the cages pop out from the wall of cages. A series of small cranes pulled out the two cages then brought them closer to the observation deck suspended in midair.

The first Incubator looked absolutely terrified, panicking as his cage swayed back and forth. His frightened eyes were fixated on the glass floor of his cage where he saw the nine-story drop below his paws. The second Incubator, on the other hand, was calm and faced Michi and Homura through the glass of his cage and the glass of the observation deck with a keen expression. The second Incubator was a battered creature whose body was covered in cuts and bruises, whose tail was crooked and limp and whose fur had been all but torn off. Despite that, the creature's eyes were clear and glared right back at Homura.

Homura dismissively ran a hand through her hair then spoke,

"When the Incubators' hive mind started to die, the rodents started to identify each other with their most distinct characteristics. This calm one here before us is the new leader of the Incubators, was known as 'The Injured One', while the frightened one to his right is his lackey known as 'The Reluctant One'. However, I didn't find these names fitting - so I gave them new ones."

She pointed to the creatures and said, "The leader is 'Ichibey' while the lackey is 'Nibey'. The first and the second."

* * *

**Forty-second Act, Second Movement - Since Time Immemorial**

"Nibey… Ichibey…" Michi repeated as she watched the two creatures closely. When her eyes met with Ichibey's clear ones, however, a shiver ran through Michi's spine.

"This creature… this 'Ichibey'… I've seen him before."

"You know him?" Homura asked, "This particular Incubator?"

"Yes - I remember him. He was the Incubator who granted my wish in Oshimahana, and the same one who came to me in the Hokkaido cave in 1916. I'm sure of it!"

"The Incubators were a monolithic hive mind up until now, Michi. How were you able to identify him?"

"There was something about this 'Ichibey' that I couldn't grasp at that time. He seemed to command the respect of the other Incubators, and he was oddly perceptive about emotions too - more so than any other Incubator. It was almost as if he was _interested_ in emotions, but I didn't think too much about it."

Homura hummed as she gave Ichibey a once over,

"Even then, huh? That makes sense. No wonder why he assimilated human emotions so quickly - and why the other rodents look up to him now."

Ichibey then chuckled - a strange, mechanical chuckle that sounded forced at best, but it was a chuckle nonetheless. He then faced Michi and Homura spoke to them through the glass with telepathy,

"Your eyes are still as clear as they were in 1916, Hideyoshi-san. You are correct - I am the Incubator who granted your wish and I was the one who came to you in the cave. I had hoped to witness your ascension to Dreadnaughthexe right there and then, but De Lamarliere-san's wish delayed Lorelei Sankt's demise."

The creature sat upright on the glass floor of his hanging cage and his smirk seemed to grow ever so slightly,

"I've been following you ever since that time, watching you take more and more of the burden of the world on your shoulders. I watched your journey through Japan - fighting the Wraith attacks of the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, throughout your Manchuria adventures in 1939 - and even your last few years in the Philippines toward the end of the Second World War."

Ichibey tilted his head and wagged his crooked tail as he said,

"I was the one who watched you toss your Soul Gem into the Pasig River on the third of March in 1945. At first, I thought it was a shame. But I waited for 143 years for you to reappear in the Mitakihara River on the first of May in 2088. From what I understood from Akemi-san's stories of the old timelines when Witches still manifested, you turned out to be a magnificent Dreadnaughthexe who exceeded all of our expectations - Walpurgisnacht!"

Michi gritted her teeth then shouted back in telepathy,

"NEVER REFER TO ME BY THAT WRETCHED NAME, FOUL CREATURE!"

Michi's brow furrowed and her eyes grew wild and bloodshot as she growled and formed her hands into fists. However, Homura held her back. Nibey trembled in fear in the face of Michi's rare show of rage, but Ichibey held his ground and kept his eyes on Michi's.

"Indeed, you are merely a shadow of your former self, Hideyoshi-san. Calling you Walpurgisnacht would be an insult to the Dreadnaughthexe and the Taint of the Dreadnaught. Not even a sliver of that raw, unfettered power remains in you - I can tell."

Ichibey then noticed the purple ribbon tied to her hairpin and he said,

"More than that, you've become a vassal again, Hideyoshi-san? Have you taken a liking to servitude? From the so-called Goddess' Archangel to the Devil's right hand - what a fickle child you are. In 1945, when you defeated Elise de Lamarliere - the magi whom you've hunted down so vigorously to bring to justice - you took up her cause just before she died too."

Homura's grip on Michi's shoulders tightened, but Michi managed to stay calm this time around. The naginata-wielder bore holes into Ichibey's clear, red eyes and said,

"I took up Elise's mantle because it was the right thing to do and I became an Archangel of the Goddess Madoka for the same reason. Helping Homura-san is no different. I will do what needs to be done to protect my sisters-in-magic and I will become what I need to become in order to see things through. So tell me - why don't you yield your powers to Homura-san and spare yourself from this suffering?"

"'Why', you ask?" Ichibey challenged firmly, "The moment that we yield our powers, it's almost certain that a genocide will occur and we Incubators will be erased from existence! We Incubators are already corralled into detention centers like this 'Panopticon' so that we can be easily 'liquidated' at our 'great mistress' Akemi-san's pleasure. Surely, you have seen the cruelty that Akemi-san is capable of first hand!"

The battered figure of Ichibey then stood up straight and glared at Michi saying,

"What Akemi-san desires - this 'true miracle' that she wants to bring about also conflicts with the Incubators' duty to the universe. As you may very well know, the entropy of the universe is a limited and declining resource. This 'true miracle' will expend massive amounts of entropy and may very well destroy the universe once and for all!"

"Destroy… the universe?" Michi was dumbfounded, "What are you talking about!?"

"The universe is already losing entropy at an unprecedented rate - and the inefficient energy conversion of the Law of Cycles has aggravated that problem a hundredfold. Theoretically, the energy output from the manifestation of Witches yielded so much more energy than Wraiths do. More than that - the Taint of the Dreadnaught, the process that could have ensured the preservation of the universe is wasted on your false deities whose whims bring the universe closer to the brink of destruction!"

"The Goddess Madoka would do no such thing!" Michi argued, "The Goddess Madoka was all-powerful and she would have kept her promise to us Puella Magi while keeping the universe alive!"

"Really? Your definition of 'all-powerful' or 'omnipotence' eludes me." The Incubator challenged, "Has Kaname-san ever told you about how she plans to bring about the 'true miracle'? Has she shown that she has the power to bring this 'true miracle about?' She has made many promises, but she has kept the state of the universe a secret from even you Archangels, hasn't she? She wouldn't say a word about it because by the time the Silver Garden fell, the universe only had a year left to live!"

"That's not true - that can't be true! I've had my doubts… but this just can't be right!" Michi stepped back from the platform and felt her heart racing, "Homura-san… you're the mistress of the universe, aren't you? P-please… please tell me that this Incubator is lying!"

Homura turned to Michi with a grim frown then shook her head saying,

"Everything the Incubator has said is true - all of it. I'm sure that Madoka knew about it too - which is why she couldn't bear to tell anyone else about it. With the way things are going, the universe will collapse by the end of this year - and unless one side completely gives in to the will of the other, everything will be for naught."

The time-traveler then cast a sharp glare at the two Incubators and roared, "And I have no intention of giving these beasts an inch!"

* * *

**Forty-third Act, First Movement - Now, Do You Understand?**

Michi and Homura spent another hour or so in the Panopticon with the stubborn Ichibey and the stalemate between them became clear to the naginata-wielder. The two magi emerged from the observation deck and crossed the Panopticon halls as the electronic gates closed behind them with buzzes and the heavy thuds of steel bars. The loud noises barely registered in Michi's mind, however, everything she had heard swirled around like a dark, restless ocean. Hearing Ichibey's ominous words chilled her to the bone, while Homura walked silently beside her.

"The Goddess Madoka never told us a thing." Michi rued, "That must have been why she was in such a rush to bring everyone into the Silver Garden. She knew that the universe was going to collapse."

Homura heaved a tired sigh then spoke her mind,

"Knowing Madoka, if all else failed, she would have wanted to protect all Puella Magi in the Silver Garden. She might have been able to bring her family and friends up there as well - she could have made an exception for them. But once the universe is no more, Madoka would have spent what time she had left expending herself slowly and painfully to buy everyone more time. Then, even the Silver Garden would disappear."

Michi walked in grim silence as she wrestled with Homura's prediction. However, that did seem like something that the Goddess Madoka would have done. She would have kept everyone happy to the very end. Then everyone, in a state of bliss, would cease to exist - a merciful demise.

"I told you in the Silver Garden that I became the Devil to save Madoka." Homura started as she stared up to the white ceiling lights of the Panopticon hall, "I had to save her from two things - from the Incubators that wanted to capture her, and from the wretched fate that she would surely and eventually drive herself into. Without the Incubators ceding their power, Madoka could have only done so much - but she would still have suffer in the end, until the very end."

Homura clenched her fist and said,

"The only way forward now is to make the true miracle that Madoka would have wanted come true. She would not have wanted all of us - and everything we've been through - to end in a pathetic whimper. The true miracle has to make a future that is better than that. Given that our universe is dying, we will only have one shot - so we have to absolutely make it count."

Michi stopped in the middle of the hall and lowered her head as she asked,

"And what if you fail?"

"Then the universe will collapse in an instant - and I will spend what little magic I would have left to make sure that Madoka passes on with a smile. It's why I've outsourced as much of the work as possible to my Clara Dolls - so that I can have enough magic for just such an occasion."

Homura then faced Michi with a determined face and said, "But I have no intention of having things come to that, Michi - and you are going to help me chart a path forward. I've lost my way many times already, so I need you to make sure that I'm still moving forward. I need you to make sure that I do not lose my way again."

"I… don't know if I can help you with that, Homura-san." Michi laid a hand on her head, rubbing her temples as she fought a budding headache, "I want to help you - but I don't know if I…"

"I know you can help me, Michi." Homura interrupted, closing the distance between her and the naginata-wielder, "Madoka chose you to be her left hand - then she chose you to watch over the Silver Garden. You are the most trustworthy person in the universe for me right now, Michi, and I need you to be strong. You've defied fate twice before - so help me defy it one last time."

Michi's frown deepened and the dull pain in her head throbbed, but she felt Homura's hand on her shoulder.

"Michi - go home for the night and rest. I'll have a squad car bring you back to the Hanasou. You've seen and heard things in one day that I needed weeks - or even months to get my head around. You must be tired."

"That might be a good idea, thanks... I am tired - but what about you, Homura-san?" Michi asked.

"I'm tired all the time, Michi. I hardly sleep anymore - but I cannot rest."

Homura then dug into the pocket of her blouse and drew out a familiar pair of red-rimmed glasses, and said,

"After all, I have to make sure that the sun will still rise tomorrow."

With that, Homura walked with Michi back to the underground parking lot where a squad car was already waiting for her. Michi sat in the back of the car and watched Homura put on her red-rimmed glasses before disappearing into the police station once more.

* * *

**Forty-third Act, Second Movement - A Conversation In Silence**

On the ride home, the police car didn't sound its sirens, but Michi still watched the traffic of the expressway making way for them yet again. She then looked up to the starless night sky and - for the first time - realized just how late it already was. A quick glance at the face of her WristComm device told her that she was already late for curfew, and that she had already missed the _Hanasou_ 's dinner service. Drawn so deeply into a sea of conspiracy and intrigue, she had already missed lunch and was well on her way to miss dinner as well.

Before long, the police car reached the back entrance of the Hanasou and came to a stop. Michi stepped out of the car and thanked the police officer who drove her there. The officer gave Michi a sharp salute then drove off into the night. Michi, meanwhile, made her way through the narrow back entrance of the Hanasou dorm.

Flanked by ginkgo trees bathed in the silver light of the half-moon in the path, Michi imagined herself walking through the Barrier Forest once again. The spectres of the Magi of the Interior appeared around her as well - all wearing their distinct black berets this time - watching from behind the trees with ghastly, disappointed eyes. Once she reached the Hanasou's back gate, however, the garden lights turned on and the spectres promptly disappeared.

Michi snuck into the Hanasou foyer, making sure that the dormitory prefect wasn't at her desk. When the coast was clear, she passed by the common kitchen and heard the meticulous sound of chopping vegetables. Michi peered inside and saw her roommate Elise wearing a white apron over her lilac nightgown while hard at work at the chopping block.

Elise noticed that she suddenly had an audience but she continued to work on her vegetables as she said,

"Good evening, Michi - did you get back just now?"

"Oh - uh, good evening, Elise. I just got back home now, yes." Michi said with awkward surprise. She watched Elise's back for a moment and gathered herself to start, "Actually, Elise… about earlier today…"

"Michi - you haven't eaten yet, have you?" Elise interrupted without turning back, "You have a bad habit of forgetting to eat whenever you're immersed in something."

"Ahaha… you caught me red-handed, Elise."

"Come wash your hands and have a seat at the table." Elise then said, turning her head to Michi and flashing a small smile, "I saved some stew for you."

Michi's eyes brighten end and - for the first time in a while - she managed to wear a small smile as she said,

"You really are a godsend, Elise."

The freshman girl did as her upperclassman asked, washing her hands and sitting down at the table while Elise heated up the stew on the stove. The French girl also made tea for two and served Michi a cup of her favorite green tea. Michi had a sip of her tea and felt the warmth returning to her body.

Elise smiled as Michi eagerly took a second sip and asked,

"Is my green tea really that good, Michi? It's just the standard variety from the Mirai 812 mall, you know."

"I know that…" Michi said as she held the cup with both hands as if she were trying to warm them, "But this is what I needed right now."

"I see - then that's good." Elise said as she sipped her own tea.

Just like that, the two girls sat facing each other and drinking their tea in silence. The stew simmering on the stove broke that silence as the girls waited for the other to speak up.

Michi's hands wrapped around her warm teacup as she wondered just what she was able to tell Elise given her situation. Thoughts came and went like the ebb and flow of the ocean, but her lips felt dry as she found herself unable to speak. Elise, on the other hand, wore a warm smile behind her brewing doubts and suspicion. The French girl eyed the purple ribbon that Michi now wore and quietly hoped for an explanation - or at least some sort of update from Michi.

In the end, however, neither of them would say a word. Elise stood up from her seat and spoke with her veiled smile,

"I'll go on ahead, Michi - I still need to study for the midterms, after all. Just turn off the stove when it's done."

Michi nodded and caught a glimpse of the disappointed profile of Elise's face. Michi lowered her head and watched her own reflection in her warm teacup. The frown that she had forgotten about for a brief moment returned to her lips as she quietly muttered,

"I'm sorry, Elise."

She then stood up and somberly turned off the fire of the stove.

* * *

**Forty-fourth Act - Brighter Than The Sunrise**

_May 17, 2088 - Monday_

The next morning, well before the sun rose, Michi woke up in her bed with a jolt and a cold sweat forming on her brow. The naginata-wielder calmed down her breathing and before throwing herself back into bed with a groggy groan. She rested the back of her hand on her forehead, wondering if she was sick or had a fever. The things she had seen and heard yesterday seemed to be a wild and feverish dream, but it wasn't her imagination. She had seen beyond the veil and now knew the sad truth of their dying universe.

The ticking of the clock in Room 308 counted down the seconds that brought the universe teetering closer to complete and utter collapse. Meanwhile, her roommate Elise shifted placidly in her sheets on the bed across from her's, followed by a light and innocent grumble before she returned to sleep.

Watching the sleeping Elise with her back turned plucked at Michi's heart with a dull pang. The two of them had barely spoken to each other after sharing tea in the kitchen last evening, after all. A rift had formed between them, growing much wider than the distance between their beds with each passing moment.

Thinking about it made Michi feel sick. She was the only one awake in a sleeping world and there was nobody else she could turn to for help. The lonesome thought threatened to move Michi to tears, but she closed her eyes and covered her face, forcing the floodgates to stay closed. It was at around this time that she remembered Homura's few words of sympathy,

" _It's burdensome, isn't it? Having people who care for you, that is._ "

A shadow formed over Michi's eyes as Homura's profound words finally made sense to her. Just what could she do at a time like this? The Silver Garden had already slipped through her fingers - and soon, the universe was going to follow the Garden's fate. All the while, the spectres of the eight million lost souls haunted her in every waking moment.

Michi sat upright and saw the faint light of the early sunrise that slipped past the window curtains illuminating the cover of Elise's copy of _Las Belles Artes Orientale, Edition 2088_ on the nightstand together with the purple ribbon that Michi now wore. The Great Wave off Kanagawa in the illustration was quickly becoming her reality. It made her long for a simpler time that had long since gone.

In the darkness, Michi remembered the time when she and Matsuri laid out maps on the floor of their Oshimahana home and plotted out their great adventure out of the valley. She saw her younger self drawing paths of the roads they would take, the ships they would board and the trains they would ride and Matsuri would watch in awestruck anticipation. Michi lost that map - and her family - in the fire that burned down her home and she had been lost ever since.

Now, the Great Wave was coming to finish her off before she could even hope to find her way. But whether she liked it or not - and whether she could make it or not - she would have to sail through the sea. She had to believe that there was something beyond the Great Wave - and she had to reach out to everyone else and bring them there.

With that, Michi wiped the tears that had formed in the sides of her eyes and stood up from her bed. She laid a hand on Elise's book then took the purple ribbon with her to her dresser mirror to begin her meticulous morning routine, as always. She put on the uniform of the Mitakihara Junior High School and began to brush her long, black hair with precise, graceful strokes.

Michi then set aside the brush and produced her silver kanzashi pin and meticulously tied the purple ribbon around it. She then opened up the jewelry box on her dresser and took out the silver willow ornament that Elise gave to her, placing it on her kanzashi along with the ribbon. Adorned now with the symbols of Michi's promises, the kanzashi pin felt heavy in Michi's hands - but it was just the right weight to hold her hair firmly in place.

Once she was finished, she turned around to give the sleeping Elise a bow then whispered from afar,

"I'm heading out."

With that, she stepped out of the Hanasou and watched the sunrise from the tiered gardens. Michi basked in the sunlight for a moment and felt a strong, soothing breeze blow through the crowns of the trees around her. The warmth and the sounds propelled her forward and she hurried over to the Mitakihara Junior High School's auxiliary building. There was hardly a soul around in the campus, but Michi didn't stop for even a moment. With brisk, purposeful steps, she climbed up the spiral staircase to the third floor and headed over to the principal's office.

Michi laid a hand on the office's doorknob and the purple ribbon that she wore and the turquoise blue gem of her kanzashi pin glowed faintly. The door then unlocked and opened for her. The naginata-wielder stepped inside and found a sleeping Homura resting her head on her arms over the principal's desk. The sleeping time-traveler was still wearing her red-rimmed glasses while her large, black-cased Soul Gem hovered by her side.

Homura's Soul Gem was vulnerable, she thought. The hue of the gem was rather dark, but she felt as if the gem was _watching_ her. It was almost as if the gem was tempting her to strike it down right there and then. Michi felt her hands twitch, ready to summon her naginata in an instant, but she held herself back. Instead, Michi reached into her Grief Cube pouch and placed a dozen Grief Cubes around the Soul Gem.

While the twelve Grief Cubes absorbed the corruption from Homura's gem, Michi brought out the purple scarf that Homura lent her and laid it on the time traveler's shoulders. She then went over to the office's drink bar and started to prepare some tea.

The water boiled before long and gently roused Homura from her light slumber. The time-traveler slowly sat herself upright then noticed the warm purple scarf that had been placed on her shoulders and the twelve Grief Cubes that flanked her Soul Gem. The glasses that Homura had been wearing slipped down the bridge of her nose, but she pushed them back up as she croaked,

"Michi…?"

"Ah - you're awake, Homura-san." Michi said as she poured Homura a cup of tea and placed it beside the purple Soul Gem, "It seems you were successful - the sun rose again today, after all."

"It's a small feat in the grander scheme of things." Homura said as she took off her glasses, "As long as there's energy to spare, deities of the universe can do that much in their sleep."

The time-traveler then picked up her purple gem and brought it close to her eyes. Homura's gem glowed mildly and there was a brief sparkle in her eyes that subsided in an instant. Homura blinked twice then ran a hand through her hair confidently and said,

"Most of my energy is spent keeping the cogs of this wretched world of ours running smoothly, and finding ways to force the Incubators to finally yield."

Michi then brought her own cup of tea and sat across the table from Homura. She laid her hands on the table and faced Homura with a determined smile as she said adamantly,

"And I will do my best to help you get there. The words of that 'Ichibey' at the Panopticon and the state of the universe did rattle me, but know that I did not choose to become your Exemplar on a whim."

Michi's expression grew somber as she continued,

"I also finally understand what you meant by having people who cared about you as burdensome. It truly is, is it not?"

Homura picked up her teacup with a sympathetic smile on her lips and nodded, saying,

"We're doing all of this for them, after all - because they're precious to us."

"They are precious to us, Homura-san - which is why we need to give it our best and tackle this issue with clear minds and willing hearts."

"I admire your renewed enthusiasm, Michi, but how do you plan to do that?"

"We have to move forward with no regrets and bury the things that keep us tied to the past. But more than that - we also have to reach out to the ones we hold dear. Just a simple sign will be enough - so that they know that we're on their side when the time comes."

"You sound like you have an idea, Michi."

"I do, Homura-san - so will you please hear me out?"

* * *

**Forty-fifth Act - The Feeling Is Mutual**

Later on in the morning, Elise de Lamarliere pensively dragged her feet through the halls of the Mitakihara Junior High School's main building. When she woke up, Michi had already long since left their room. Lorelei and Ligaya, her occasional companions for breakfast, were likewise absent from the common kitchen. Elise was left to eat her breakfast and walk to the school in a puzzled and somber solitude.

Her conversation with Michi - or lack thereof - the previous night, however, was what weighed on her mind the most. Michi was a terribly poor liar, so it was easy for Elise to see that she was hiding something. But at the same time, Elise could tell that it was something that Michi couldn't bring herself to tell - or something Michi wasn't allowed to tell others. Elise understood that nuance well - her time as the shadow leader of the Incognitas during the Second World War drilled it into her very being. Knowing that, it only served to make her even more curious about what was going on.

Though she was lost in her thoughts, Elise still found her way to Class 3-4 where she took her seat at the dead center of the room. As soon as she sat down, the blooming figure of Mami Tomoe arrived as well - fresh from the shower after her morning reconnaissance duty. Judging by the smile on her face and the apple in her hand, Elise felt that Kyouko Sakura accompanied her on patrol.

When Mami walked in, she was promptly intercepted by admiring classmates who bombarded her with smalltalk. Usually, she would have entertained them, but Mami excused herself that time around and took her seat beside Elise's.

The golden-haired gunner set down the apple on her desk and smiled at Elise, greeting her in passable French,

" _Bonjour, De Lamarliere_."

" _Bonjour aussi, Mami_. _Ca va?_ "

" _Ca va bien."_ Mami happily replied before returning to Japanese, "You know, De Lamarliere-san, Sakura-san and I are still quite impressed by your performance with Hideyoshi-san at the Hanasou yesterday morning. When the two of you are together, you truly are a force of nature - and your _Fioro Magnifico_ is just that!"

"Hmm…" Elise hummed aimlessly, losing her focus at the mention of Michi.

The golden-haired gunner noticed Elise's hum and tilted her head asking,

"Is there something wrong, De Lamarliere-san?"

The greatsword-wielder turned away from Mami and muttered, "At this point, I don't even know anymore."

It was at that time that the school's PA system chimed the Westminster tune and a pair of enthusiastic voices came on.

" _Guten morgen_ , Mitakihara Junior High School! Good morning! This is Lorelei Sankt of the Broadcasting Club!"

" _Magandang umaga!_ And I'm Ligaya De La Cruz, also from the Broadcasting Club! And together… the two of us are…!"

The two voices then spoke as one,

"The Thunder Sisters!"

The room of Class 3-4 was quickly abuzz as Elise's and Mami's classmates spoke fondly about the Thunder Sisters. A lot of them were glad to hear them again after the Cultural Festival and that they had joined the Broadcasting Club as well. Even Mami nodded serenely in agreement, chuckling as the Thunder Sisters did a snippet of their banter on air again. Elise, on the other hand, wore a smile of relief as she listened to them on the air.

Lorelei really taught Ligaya well, Elise thought. Though there were still slip-ups here and there, Ligaya's Japanese was polished and flowed as free as a river. Just listening to the two over the air told Elise that the two of them were getting along well. The two of them were already practically joined at the hip - in the same way that Lorelei clung around Elise in 1913 Strasbourg.

"You've made a new friend, _ma cherie_." Elise mused beneath her breath, "I'm happy for you."

Elise then pensively reached into the pocket of her school sweater and pulled out the amazake cup that had been split neatly in two. The banter of the Thunder Sisters was muffled in Elise's mind as she thoughtfully ran her thumb through the oddly smooth edge of the broken cup and heaved a sigh.

Then, after cracking a few jokes, the Thunder Sister remembered their announcement - almost as if it were an afterthought. The school erupted in a burst of laughter and Lorelei finally made their long overdue announcement,

"There will be a huge - and I mean HUGE lantern festival taking place on Friday night at the Mitakihara River - and we would like everybody to come and join us! Our student council has volunteered to make the lanterns and they're looking for some volunteers to lend them a hand!"

"Yeah, everyone! Lorelei and I will be doing our part too and it will be super fun!"

The two girls then spoke in unison again as they said,

"Come on! Join us on Friday at the Mitakihara River! Thunder Sisters, out~!"

The announcement came to an end and the lively classroom came to a hush as Saotome-sensei marched enthusiastically into the room. The students all started turning to each other and wondered why Saotome-sensei was there well before the school bell rang. The plucky, bespectacled teacher then smiled at her students and said,

"Everyone - you all heard the announcements, right? The student council will be going around looking for volunteers. Since the council president, Ogasawara-san is your classmate, she wanted to talk to you herself - and she brought a guest as well."

Saotome-sensei then turned to the door and gestured the people outside to come in. The student council president, Noe Ogasawara walked in with her usual, sugarcoated charm that Elise had long since gotten tired of. Following the student council president, however, was her roommate.

"... Michi…?"

The freshman girl's eyes swept through the classroom and, when she found Elise, wore a small smile for her. Elise, unable to believe that Michi was right there in her classroom could barely muster up a reply. And so, Michi and the student council president started their spiel - inviting everyone to the lantern festival at the Mitakihara River. Then, Michi faced the sea of upperclassmen before her and asked for volunteers to raise their hands.

Though people did seem interested in going to the festival, actually lending a hand was another matter entirely. None of Elise's classmates seemed to want to raise their hands while Elise herself felt conflicted. Why was Michi doing this all of the sudden? Urged by her curiosity, she raised her right hand sheepishly.

However, she felt Mami's hand grab her by the wrist and pulled it up all the way. Elise turned to Mami in shock but saw that the golden-haired gunner had raised her own hand as well. Mami faced Elise with a knowing smile and said,

"When you want to support someone, you have to support them with everything you have, De Lamarliere-san."

When Michi saw Mami and Elise raising their hands, she brightened up and gladly wrote down their names on a notepad.

The rest of the school day passed by quickly and, once classes were finished, Elise found herself walking with Mami and Noe Ogasawara through the halls of the main building and towards the connector bridge. At the bridge, Michi was waiting for them with Lorelei and Ligaya in tow and a satisfied smile on her lips. The six of them then crossed the bridge together towards the student council room.

"Michi… what's this all of the sudden?" Elise asked as she walked side-by-side with her roommate, "When did you become close with Ogasawara-san? Why are you spearheading this lantern festival out of the blue?"

"You're asking me a lot of questions, Elise - I don't know which one to answer first!" Michi spoke lightheartedly as she joined her hands behind her back. Walking like that made the purple ribbon and the willow ornament that she wore in her kanzashi pin more prominent as she replied, "Homura-san was close to Ogasawara-san, so she introduced her to me yesterday. As for the lantern festival…"

The naginata-wielder hummed and then spoke in a riddle, "I felt that it would be nice to send some lights floating down the river at night for everyone to see."

Elise knew very well that there was something behind those words that Michi couldn't say, so she resigned herself to a nod of agreement.

The girls reached the student council room where the dozen council members were already busy making the paper lanterns in an organized assembly line. Homura sat alongside the council members and kept a surprisingly low profile.

As soon as Noe Ogasawara stepped into the room, she quickly whipped up her council members to pick up the pace. Her impression of Noe Ogasawara as the taintless, beloved daughter of the school was quickly crumbling before her eyes.

"Why are you guys in such a hurry to make lanterns, Michi?" Elise then asked.

Michi's smile then became uncomfortable as she finally admitted, "We'll need eight million lanterns - so we need all the help we can get until Friday."

Elise blinked in disbelief and said, "... what?"

Mami passed by beside Elise and patted her shoulder in consolation. Elise shook her head with a defeated smile then joined the others to start making paper lanterns.

…

The next few days flowed by quickly as Michi and Elise dedicated their time to making paper lanterns. The two of them would bring materials to the 'secret base' of the Hanasou Girls in the auditorium along with their lunches, only to find out that Lorelei and Ligaya had the exact same idea. So just like that, the Hanasou Girls spent their breaks making lanterns, eating lunch and chatting together like actual middle school girls in the midst of a do-or-die school project.

Lorelei and Ligaya still honestly believed that they were mere middle school girls, Elise thought, and Michi played along wholeheartedly. Elise's roommate wasn't trying to awaken either of them as Puella Magi, nor was she trying to support Homura. Whenever they talked about the lantern festival, Michi always talked about the student council and Saotome-sensei, but she hardly mentioned Homura at all.

Then, when the other volunteer gathered at the student council room in the afternoons, Mami and Homura sat with the Hanasou Girls at a work desk but they too were just as neutral as Michi towards Lorelei and Ligaya. All the while, Elise kept her thoughts to herself and quietly did her share of work.

Then, in the evenings, Michi and Elise would join the Mitakihara Quintet on their patrols around town, fighting Wraiths around the Greater Mitakihara Area without fail. And once they were finished, Michi would take materials home to the Hanasou and make lanterns well into the night before going to bed.

Come Wednesday afternoon, a handful of new volunteers joined the tiring effort. Kyouko Sakura was brought along by Mami while Hitomi Shizuki and Kyousuke Kamijou came at the the student council president's request. Lorelei and Ligaya even brought some of their freshman friends over to lend a hand. Finally, Homura arrived as well with Madoka in tow as well and the pink-haired girl was fascinated.

"Ah! It's nice to see everyone here working so hard!" Madoka piped up to Homura as the two of them sat down with Michi and the others. She then faced Michi and Elise with a smile and said, "Eight million lanterns is a lot of work, but I'm sure we can all do it together!"

"Thanks for coming as well, Madoka-senpai." Michi said with a happy nod, "We'll be counting on you as well."

With that, the girls got to work again in the crowded and lively room. An hour into their work, however, the student council president swing by their table and quietly tapped Michi's and Homura's shoulders. The two girls excused themselves then promptly followed Ogasawara out of the room. It was at this time that Madoka scooted over to Elise's side and said,

"Duramayue-senpai, Michi-san has been helping Homura-chan a lot lately, hasn't she?"

"Helping, Akemi-san?" Elise tilted her head as she assembled a paper lantern, "Are you talking about this lantern festival?"

"Hmm… the lantern festival _is_ part of it, but I'm talking about things in general." Madoka thoughtfully hummed, "Two weeks ago, you and Michi-san started hanging out with Homura-chan, Kyouko-chan and Mami-senpai. Michi-san especially has been spending time with Homura-chan like this."

A small frown formed on Elise's lips as she said,"I'm well aware of that."

Madoka chuckled then spoke in a warm tone, "Well - ever since Michi-san started helping Homura-chan out, I could tell that something about Homura-chan had changed."

"Akemi-san… changed?"

"Yes - it's a small change, but I'm with Homura-chan all the time so I noticed it before long. Homura-chan started to be in brighter spirits and she seemed a whole lot more relaxed. It was almost as if she had a weight taken off her shoulders. It was very rare to see Homura-chan smile in the past, but she has been showing more of that side of her to me lately - and there's no doubt in my mind that Michi-san had something to do with it."

The pink-haired girl then placed her hands together and wore a pleasant smile as she said,

"If Homura-chan's happy, then i'm happy. It's why i'm here to support Homura-chan as much as I can too, just like Michi-san! So I feel lucky to have Michi-san as a friend, don't you?"

Elise nodded earnestly then set her unfinished lantern aside as she said,

"Michi has the uncanny ability to speak and reach out to others. It's why so many people gravitate towards her - she's earnest, driven and unyielding. And she'll do what needs to be done to protect those she cares about."

"Wehihi~!" Madoka blushed and laughed as she covered her face, causing Elise to be self-conscious all of the sudden. The pink-haired girl caught her breath and apologized to Elise with a wave as she explained herself,

"You know, Duramayue-senpai, Michi-san thinks very highly of you as well. So, as they say in English, ' _the feeling is mutual_!'""

"... Michi does?" Elise felt her embarrassment brewing.

"Yeah! I can't exactly tell you what Michi said since she asked me to keep it a secret, but Michi-san really likes to show off the willow ornament on her kanzashi pin! She's proud that she got it from you, she says. After all, you're someone she holds dear."

Elise's voice then ground into a more tender tone as she said,

"That Michi… really finds joy in the smallest of things…"

The French girl, however, looked at the unfinished lantern before her and asked,

"But what exactly do you think these lanterns are all about? This festival came out of nowhere - and making eight million lanterns for it too?"

A somber expression soon grew on Madoka's face for a while, but she shored up a smile and said,

"I'm sure we'll find out before long. For now - let's keep supporting our friends, shall we?"

* * *

**Forty-sixth Act, First Movement - Opposite Directions**

_May 21, 2088 - Friday_

On Friday afternoon, as the light of the setting sun filled the student council room, Michi and Elise put on the finishing touches of the last two paper lanterns. The two of them then put forward their lanterns and were greeted by vociferous cheers from all around the room. Lorelei and Ligaya, Mami and Kyouko, Homura and Madoka and even Saotome-sensei clapped and cheered as their week-long ordeal finally came to a close.

The student council members and the volunteers carted off the lanterns to a fleet of trucks waiting at the parking lot of the school. Once the trucks were loaded up, they drove off towards the Mitakihara River and the student council members started filing off towards the bus stop together. The volunteers, on the other hand, were headed in the opposite direction to make their ways home. As the crowd in the parking lot dispersed, Michi and Elise stood face to face as the Japanese freshman pointed to the line of council members and said,

"Elise, I'll be headed this way. I'm going with the council to get ready for the festival."

A small frown formed on Elise's lips as she said,

"I was heading back to the Hanasou with Lorelei and Ligaya. Are you sure you have to tag along with them?"

"Yes - I promised them that I would see things through to the very end." Michi said as she wore a defeated smile. She then faced her rommate with an earnest expression and asked, "Will you be going to the festival, Elise?"

"Of course I will." Elise replied, "Lorelei and Ligaya will be there too - and so will most of the girls in the Hanasou."

"I see. That's good." Michi smiled as she joined her hands behind her back and said, "May I ask you for a favor then, Elise?"

"What is it, Michi?"

"Once all of the lanterns are on the water, would you mind to take a walk with me?"

"Of course." Elise said without a second thought.

"Thanks, Elise." Michi lowered her head but wore a smile and spoke in a fond yet somber tone, "Meet me at our tent in the riverbanks. I'll be waiting."

With that, Michi excused herself and followed the student council members towards the bus stop. Elise, on the other hand, quickly paced through the Kagami-tree lined path. She breezed past Lorelei and Ligaya on the way home and reached the dormitory well before them. The French girl then marched up to Room 308 and closed the door behind her, sealing herself in the darkness of their dimly lit room.

Elise's concerns and frustrations were starting to boil over. This whole week, Michi has told her nothing. She was completely in the dark and she couldn't handle it anymore. She fished out the two pieces of the broken amazake cup from her school uniform's sweater and spoke to them as if they were alive,

"Which is it, Michi? Whose side are you really on?"

The French girl started pacing around the room, remembering her past encounters with the girl in the blue kimono throughout the 20th Century. She sifted through her memories of Michi's words and actions from Manchukuo to Manila and tried to make sense of her situation. Elise then found herself standing before the Hideyoshi family katana in its scabbard kept that she kept atop her dresser and asked it,

"Who are you fighting for this time?"

Elise's mind then wandered to the time she spent with Michi in the Silver Garden, first as a fellow Archangel, then as her Exemplar pro tempore when the Goddess Madoka descended down to the Earth. She then raised her eyes up above the dresser and saw the painting that came along with the now-broken amazake cup in her hands, fully restored and hanging on the walls. The faint light from the curtained windows illuminated the muse - the girl named 'Francine' looking at her reflection on the river.

The greatsword-wielder tried to clench her hands into fists in frustration, but the two pieces of the amazake cup she held kept her from doing so. She heaved a sigh and set the amazake cup pieces on her dresser along with the sheathed sword then faced the painting as well and asked,

"What exactly have you seen?"

* * *

**Forty-sixth Act, Second Movement - Eight Million Miracles**

Evening came quickly that day for Elise as she found herself riding a bus with Lorelei and Ligaya to the festival site. All three of them were wearing casual attires and they brought a large, woven straw mat and a basket of snacks enough for four with them. The German girl and the Filipina girl were giddy as they held their things, talking about how they were looking forward to their first night festival as a group. Elise, on the other hand, wistfully looked out the bus window up to the bright city lights that contrasted the eternally starless night sky.

The questions she asked herself earlier in her room remained unanswered as she quietly looked for answers in the heavens. Then, the rows of skyscrapers finally gave way to a clear view of the banks of the Mitakihara River where a small crowd of people were gathering. Most of them were students of the Mitakihara Junior High School, but there were quite a number of adults from the nearby offices as well.

Lorelei, Ligaya and Elise then got off the bus at a riverside stop and joined the crowd on the unpaved path and the lush, green grass. There were thick clouds in the sky, but the half-moon peeked through the openings every now and then and cast its silver light upon the Mitakihara River. Elise folded her arms as she looked around her.

It was a nostalgic sight, she thought. Seeing so many people gathering out on the grass like that reminded her of one of the favorite pastimes of the girls of the Silver Garden - watching the moon rise on the Goddess' Meadow. Elise closed her eyes and looked back to those times when the Archangels of the Silver Garden all joined the Goddess Madoka at the meadow like that with all of the Puella Magi they had saved throughout history.

As beautiful and tranquil as this scene around her was, it was merely a shadow of what she remembered in the Silver Garden. The half-moon shrouded in clouds and the absence of the stars punctuated that difference and made Elise's memories more bitter than sweet. Elise heaved a longing sigh, then she heard the crowd started to cheer.

Elise opened her eyes and she saw the first of the paper lanterns started to float placidly down the Mitakihara River. The lanterns came a dozen at a time, following the flow of the wide river until it became like a sea of stars. They reminded her of the wisps of light that emerged from the Goddess' Meadow during the moon rise. When Elise realized this, she felt a strong pang in her heart.

Then she remembered Michi's replies to her questions,

" _We'll need eight million lanterns… I felt that it would be nice to send some lights floating down the river at night for everyone to see._ "

"Eight million lanterns… floating down the river…" Elise started as she felt the beginnings of tears welling up in her eyes, "For everyone to see…"

Lorelei and Ligaya were already far ahead of Elise when they noticed that the French girl had stalled in the middle of the crowd. Lorelei turned back and waved to Elise, urging her to come and sit with them. However, Elise shook her head and called out to them,

"I'm sorry - but there's somewhere I need to go to first!"

Elise turned around, wiped her tears then made her way through the crowd towards the tent of the student council down by the river. Her heart was racing as she walked briskly down the sloped path and entered the tent. There, she found Michi and the members of the student council laying the myriad of lanterns gently down onto the water. As the last of the lanterns were sent off on their journey downstream, Michi turned around and found Elise at the entrance of the tent.

"You're here already? We just finished, so you came just in time." Michi said with a smile as she gestured to the river and asked, "Shall we go for a walk, Elise?"

Elise nodded and the two of them walked together down the riverbank, following the tranquil journey of the eight million lanterns illuminating the Mitakihara River. Michi and Elise walked quietly, listening to the murmur of the water and the din of the crowds gathered at the riverbanks. Then, they soon reached the gates of a small riverside graveyard where the crowds were much thinner. There, a grand, century-old cherry blossom tree stood watch over the headstones and the sole stone bench facing the Mitakihara River.

Michi and Elise sat together at the bench and watched the procession of lights on the river from there. Finally far away from prying ears, Michi finally managed to speak,

"Elise, on the night of the Cultural Festival, the two of us remembered that we were Puella Magi and I told you that Homura-san promised to tell me the truth about what's going on. This Sunday, Homura-san told me the truth as she had promised, but I learned more than I bargained for. The mess that we have been unwittingly strung into runs much deeper than I first thought and the slightest disturbance may very well put an end to everything."

The naginata-wielder then turned her eyes to the floating lanterns and spoke somberly,

"I'm sure you already know what the eight million lanterns mean, Elise. That's why you came to the tent in a rush like you did."

Elise nodded solemnly then gave her deduction, "Those eight million lanterns stand for the eight million girls throughout history that we saved and brought to the Silver Garden and this whole lantern parade is one large funeral procession for them all."

Michi lowered her head and cast a bitter shadow over her eyes. She didn't confirm Elise's words, but she didn't deny them either. Elise took that as Michi's new way of saying 'yes'.

"It's not hard to deduce what happened, Michi." Elise then said, "Homura Akemi is the devil - and she is the one who killed all of those poor souls in paradise."

Again, Michi didn't say a word, so Elise continued,

"The mystery for me is why in spite of all that - you still chose to support Akemi-san. I could tell from the time you called me on the WristComm that you were crying. I knew that you had your reservations about what you were doing. However, you're wearing Akemi-san's ribbon on your hairpin. Why did you choose to support her?"

"That's something I cannot answer right now, Elise." Michi finally replied, shaking her head as she held her ground, "I know that I am asking you for something unreasonable, but I want you to trust me. I want you to know that I may be walking on a different path now - a path that I _must_ walk alone - but I am still on your side."

"Michi…"

"I'm not sure if I am following the right path, but I know that there is order in this chaos. I just need more time to get this story straight. I haven't forgotten my promise to you, my promise to the Goddess Madoka nor my promise to those eight million girls who I failed to protect - but I will see this though. I just need you to believe in me, Elise."

The naginata-wielder then started to sob and rub her eyes, but she continued to speak with great effort,

"I need to keep moving forward, Elise… even if I don't know exactly where I'm going. That's the only way I can bring myself to face everyone I've failed to protect. Those eight million girls and their losses weighed heavily on me, but…"

"You still want to lead everyone home." Elise then said, finishing Michi's sentence.

The naginata-wielder was stunned as she looked up to face Elise. A stray tear ran down Michi's cheek, but Elise took out a lilac handkerchief and wiped it for her.

"The eight million lanterns reached out to me, Michi." Elise then said with a warm smile, "To be honest, I had my doubts about you and your intentions, but I heard your words loud and clear. I'm sure that everyone else heard it too, even just a little bit."

The French girl then chuckled and said,

"You haven't changed one bit - but that stubborn warrior is the girl I learned to trust in Manchukuo, and the girl I chose to support in the Silver Garden."

"Elise…"

More tears started to flow down Michi's cheeks, but Elise dutifully wiped those ones as well as she spoke,

"Your loyalty still lies with the Silver Garden, that much is clear to me. So just do what you think is right. All I ask is that you stay safe and that you never forget what you're fighting for. Then, when this whole mess finally comes to pass, I want you to tell me everything - okay? This time, _i'll be waiting_."

Michi's face crumpled as she felt a wave of tears threatening to burst through the gates. She tried to hide it at first, but the lights of the paper lanterns illuminated her face on the verge of tears. So she sprung forward and embraced the French girl, burying her face on her blouse as her tears finally flowed freely.

Elise tenderly rubbed the crying Michi's head. She remembered that when Michi first became the Caretaker of the Silver Garden, Michi cried bitter tears like this. Elise came over to Oshimahana that evening and took care of the grieving naginata-wielder together with her sister Matsuri. Just like then, when she saw Michi sobbing in her arms, Elise saw less of the blood-stained warrior in the blue kimono who was feared throughout the Far East and more of the innocent Matsuri Hideyoshi. It was almost as if they were one and the same - sisters who were as close as could be.

The smile on Elise's lips then grew tender as she hugged Michi back. The French girl started to sing a tune that she knew Michi and Matsuri liked - the Largo movement of Dvorak's 9th Symphony.

" _Going home, going home._

_I'm just going home._

_Quiet like, some still day._

_I'm just going home."_

Michi's embrace grew tighter as Elise sang the song. The French girl's voice wasn't anything special, but it calmed Michi down. All the while, Elise felt her own tears forming again at the side of her eyes. The lights of the lanterns sparkled in her tears as she continued,

" _It's not far - yes close by._

_Through an open door._

_Work all done, care laid by._

_Come to fear no more."_

Then, as if they were roused by Elise's voice, the eight million spectres that had followed Michi from the Silver Garden started to come out of hiding. The myriad of pale, white spirits watched their Caretaker wrapped in the arms of her Exemplar. One by one, the spectres came out of hiding to listen to the song and Michi felt their presence. She could tell they were listening and she could tell that all their eyes were on them.

This time, however, Elise saw them too and felt their presence around them. So, she didn't stop singing and sang for them as well.

" _Mother's there, expecting me._

_Father's waiting too._

_Lots of folk, gathered there._

_All the friends I knew."_

Michi's hand then reached for Elise's and their fingers intertwined as Michi weakly croaked, "All the friends _we_ knew…"

The eight million spectres watched the scene from behind the headstones of the cemetery, but they soon started to make their way forward towards the river en masse and followed their lanterns out to sea.

…

**Epilogue**

A gentle breeze blew through the riverbanks and broke the gentle silence that had fallen on the stone bench of the riverside graveyard. Michi and Elise were sitting shoulder to shoulder on the bench now, watching as the last of the paper lanterns passed by. The willow ornament on Michi's hairpin chimed pleasantly in the wind and reminded the two girls of the time.

"Thank you, Elise." Michi said as she stood up from the bench, "I feel like I have had a weight taken off my shoulders."

"I know - eight million souls is a lot to carry on your own." Elise said with sympathy as she stood up as well, "I'm glad I was able to help."

The naginata-wielder paced forward, joined her hands behind her back then turned around to Elise and said,

"Thank you for understanding, I mean it. I promise you - I'll take care of myself, and I won't lose my way."

She then gave Elise a deep, earnest bow and said,

"Please continue to watch over me and continue to be patient with me."

"But of course." Elise replied with a smile, then a gracious curtsy. She then asked, "Shall we head home, then?"

"Mm." Michi nodded, "I just need to wrap some things with the student council before we go. It might take a little while though."

"Ah - alright. I'll wait for you right here."

Michi nodded again the hurried back to the student council tent with a spring in her step. This time around, Michi was in much brighter spirits than she was all week. Elise then remembered her conversation with Madoka and mused to herself,

"Goddess Madoka - you're still alive in Kaname-san, aren't you."

Elise thoughtfully walked over to the grand cherry blossom tree and leaned against its bark. She then closed her eyes and listened to the calming sound of the breeze as it combed through her wavy red hair and the canopy of the tree above her.

All of the sudden, she heard an unnatural pop followed by the rattle of a bottle cap tossed into a trash bin. Elise opened her eyes and pressed her back against the tree, folding her arms as she felt the contour of her Soul Gem ring with her thumb.

"There's no need to get jumpy, Duramayue-senpai." The voice of Sayaka Miki came from the shadows, "I'm not here to fight you. You're one of the few people here who are awake, after all, so why would I want to put you back to sleep?"

"What's with the bottle, then?" Elise asked as she peeled herself off the tree.

"Raspberry cordial. You should try it sometimes." Sayaka said as she took a sip of the red drink from the bottle, "It hits the spot just as well as melon milk, you see, and they already stopped making the melon milk that I like - so I don't really have a choice anymore."

The sabre-fighter then stood before the taller Elise and the light of the silver moon illuminated her figure. It had been a while since the last time Elise saw Sayaka. The sabre-fighter had been awfully quiet over the past two weeks and was nowhere to be found when everyone was clamoring about the lantern festival. Sayaka looked tired with rings forming beneath her eyes from strings of sleepless nights. What's more, Sayaka's blue hair had grown much longer and was starting to reach her shoulders.

"I didn't know that you could wear your hair that long."

"The transfer student isn't the only one who can rock long hair." Sayaka said proudly as her free hand playfully flipped her bangs, "But that's not what I wanted to talk about right now."

Sayaka faced Elise with a serious expression and asked,

"So, did Mi-chan tell you anything useful?"

"Nothing yet. She just verified the things that we already knew." Elise said as she walked past Sayaka and asked, "What about you? What have you been up to these past two weeks?"

"Well, I've been working on my plan to awaken the Goddess Madoka of course. The sooner we can overthrow this Devil Homura, the better." The sabre-fighter then took another sip of her raspberry cordial and said, "We also now have evidence that Mi-chan is working for the Devil."

"That is correct - but I will tell you now that I can tell with absolute certainty that Michi is not a Clara Doll, or a mere mindless puppet of Akemi-san." Elise quickly argued, "Whatever it is that Michi is planning to do, she's doing on her own free will."

"Does that make her collaboration with the Devil any better?" Sayaka challenged.

"It doesn't - but it's clear to me that she has some sort of plan. She just needs a little more time."

"Did Mi-chan tell you anything about this plan of hers?"

Elise shook her head and said, "That's not the point."

"It is, Duramayue-senpai and you know it." Sayaka firmly argued, silencing Elise into a grumble. The sabre-fighter took another sip of her cordial then said,

"What we're waging here is not like the two World Wars that you witnessed more than a century ago, Duramayue-senpai. We are in the midst of a Cold War and I'm pretty sure that the transfer student knows that too."

"Don't lecture me about the Cold War, Miki-san." Elise countered, "I've dealt in clandestine activities for much longer than you have, so I know how that game is played. When the acts start breaking down and when the things that we've hidden start coming to light, a confrontation is inevitable."

"And when it does - which side will you be on, Duramayue-senpai?"

"On the Goddess Madoka's side - and I'm sure that Michi will be there with us as well."

"We shall see the lines are drawn on the sand - but enough of that for now." Sayaka dismissed with a gulp of her cordial. She then turned her back to Elise and said, "Come and follow me - there are some interesting people that I'd like you to meet."

"Interesting people…?" Elise asked.

"While you've been playing house with Mi-chan, I've been building up a coalition to fight the Devil." Sayaka said as she finished her cordial and tossed the bottle into a recycling bin, "You already know the both of them, so I'm sure I won't have to make a big introduction."

Frustrated as Elise was, her curiosity was piqued. She conceded a nod to Sayaka and followed her out of the graveyard to a nook by the river. Nagisa Momoe was there waiting for them.

"Nagisa-chan?" Elise asked with a furrowed brow, "You brought her into this!?"

"I didn't do a thing, senpai." Sayaka shook her head, "As a matter of fact, Nagisa approached me and told me some intriguing things."

"It's true, Eri-neechan." Nagisa then said as she showed Elise her silver ring, "I came to Sayaka-neechan after seeing what happened between you, Michi-neechan and Homura-neechan at the Cultural Festival. I couldn't sit by and do nothing after that."

Then, as Elise was still finding the words to say, a fourth figure appeared at the nook and was illuminated by the lights of the paper lanterns passing them by. The figure was small and mousy and was wearing reading glasses. When the figure took the glasses off, however, Elise's eyes widened in shock and the figure gave Elise a sharp salute.

"Esperanza Salita of the Magi of the Interior, reporting for duty! It's an honor to see you again, Exemplar pro tempore Elise!"

**To Be Continued**


	15. The Fallen Archangels

**Prologue**

An ominous breeze blew through the riverside nook that evening as Elise de Lamarliere stood face to face with Esperanza Salita. As Elise stood before the mousy frame of the former deputy of the Magi of the Interior, she felt her eyes widening and she felt the color drained from her face.

A chill ran up Elise's spine and her firm stance trembled for a brief moment. She knew that there weren't supposed to be any other survivors from the fall of the Silver Garden besides them. And yet, there Esperanza was, standing before Elise together with Sayaka Miki and Nagisa Momoe in the flesh.

Elise took a cautious step towards the girl and asked with trembling lips,

"Esperanza… Salita… is that really you?"

"It's me, Exemplar Elise - Deputy Esperanza Salita at your service. I was the one who led the advance party of Magi of the Interior - remember?"

There was a complex expression on the mousy Filipina's face as she spoke - somewhere between a smile of relief and a frown of remorse. This expression puzzled Elise and robbed her of any words to say, so the Filipina continued,

"We had orders to go down to the Earth and prepare for Bb. Akemi's ascension to the Silver Garden. Exemplar Miki and Archangel Momoe went down after us - but it was too late. It all happened so quickly. Just when we thought that we were all going home, Bb. Akemi took the Goddess Madoka and tore the heavens apart."

Esperanza's words barely registered in Elise's mind. The French girl found herself unable or unwilling to believe any of it - even if she had heard this story before, and even if her heart knew it was true. Elise's head ached and her heart trembled as she wrestled with this unfortunate truth.

The mousy girl standing before Elise was once an Aspirant of the Edificio Gumamela, she recalled. On the other hand, Elise was the Carissima who sentenced that very same girl to death. Still, this former Aspirant of hers mustered up a small smile of understanding for Elise and said,

"It's alright, Exemplar Elise. We thought that all of you had died as well. I'm just glad we're all still here together."

The former Aspirant joined her hands behind her back and looked out to the last of the lanterns floating down the Mitakihara River. Elise watched Esperanza's profile as the Filipina's innocent eyes sparkled in the lights of the floating lanterns. There was a depth in Esperanza's eyes that Elise had never noticed before. It was like a molten glow that was bursting at the seams of the ocean floor - the harbinger of an earthquake.

Esperanza cast a sidelong glance towards Elise with those deeper, burning eyes. Channeling the flame of the lanterns floating down the Mitakihara River, Esperanza started to speak with uncharacteristic resolve and formality,

"Captain Anne-Marie is gone, and so are the eight million others who were lost along with the Silver Garden at the hands of Bb. Akemi. As per the hierarchy of the Interior, I will succeed Captain Anne-Marie and lead what's left of our team There may only be twelve of us left, but we will be the stars in this starless sky. We shall burn as brightly as we can for everyone to see - I swear to the Goddess Madoka."

Esperanza promptly kneeled before Elise and bowed her head as she begged,

"Please tell us where you want us to go and we will go there. Tell us what you want us to do and we will do so. All the girls who witnessed the rise of the Devil were former Aspirants of Salvae, so please command us just like you used to back then, Carissima Elise!"

Elise frowned when she heard Esperanza mention her old title, but there was nothing that the French girl could say. Instead, she closed her eyes and shook her head, forcing her concerns to the back of her mind. Elise approached the kneeling Esperanza and tapped her on the shoulder,

"Please stand, Esperanza. I am no longer the Carissima of Manila… and whatever title I may have had in the Silver Garden has no more meaning."

"Don't say that, Carissima Elise." Esperanza argued, refusing to rise, "Everyone in the Edificio Gumamela feared you - yes - but you were one of the people who we respected the most. You were a symbol of strength, Carissima, and we need to see that strength again!"

Elise's frown deepened. Esperanza's voice told her that she had already made up her mind, so the former Carissima conceded,

"Fine - call me whatever you want. Just stand up and tell me what's going on - what happened to you and your team?"

Esperanza finally rose from the ground then nodded to Elise in acknowledgement. She then turned to the Mitakihara River again to see the lanterns with a rueful expression as she spoke,

"Our minds were wiped just like everyone else's, Carissima Elise, and we were all given false memories to suit Bb. Akemi's narrative. We were spirited away into Mitakihara City to live normal lives and none of us thought it was strange. We were enrolled into the Mitakihara Junior High School, but none of us are Japanese. That's why we were all brought in under that International Student Program."

The French girl tilted her head and asked,

"The International Student Program? That means that all twelve of you live in the Hansou too?"

Esperanza nodded and let her hands rest at her sides as she looked up to the starless sky,

"All of us were living the same peaceful dream together in the Hanasou. The survivors and I all became friends again in the Hanasou, while you, Caretaker Hideyoshi and Archangels De La Cruz and Sankt paired up quickly as well. I know what it felt like - we all gravitated towards each other and felt like we had known each other from before… or from a past life. The funny thing is that both of those crazy thoughts turned out to be true."

The Filipina deputy heaved a longing sigh and continued,

"That whole time, we were living a wonderful dream and - quite frankly - I wish we could all have kept on dreaming. We spent all of April as regular students - regular girls who knew nothing about magic. We made friends, played games, fretted over tests, talked about crushes and even joined clubs! When the dust settled, I found myself becoming the President of the Broadcasting Club! Gosh, I recruited a record number of members for that club and I was completely overjoyed! I was caught entirely in the moment!"

Esperanza's hands then clenched into fists as she ruefully hissed,

"Then, we started having these strange dreams. Back then, we didn't know what it was all about and we thought about ignoring it. People have strange dreams all the time, right? But these dreams were different. They were consistent - and they grew more and more vivid each time we had them. It all reached a breaking point on the first day of May - on the day of the Cultural Festival. That was when it all became clear to us. It all started to make sense."

"What happened on that day?" Elise asked, her eyes fixed on the lanterns in the river, "What did you all dream about?"

"I talked about it with the other members of the Broadcasting Club. I was hoping that they would dismiss it as 'another one of Esperanza Salita's ramblings', but they had the same dream as me - the exact same one! We all saw it in our dreams. There was a vast green meadow that stretched out as far as the eye could see. We walked through the clouds and we saw these doors - portafinestras - floating among the clouds too! Every single one of those doors were portals to amazing worlds and, my, it was a wonderful dream - a wonderful yet hauntingly familiar dream."

A pair of tears formed at the corners of Esperanza's eyes, but she promptly wiped them and continued,

"While I was talking about the dreams with the Broadcasting Club, Exemplar Miki came to our booth and talked to us about our dreams. She reminded us of who we were and where we came from. We were Magi of the Interior and we swore to serve and protect the Silver Garden of the Goddess Madoka. Our captain - Anne Marie Doucette - was gone and our Silver Garden was taken away from us then purged by the devil Homura Akemi."

Elise laid a hand on Esperanza's shoulder and gave her a supportive squeeze. The Filipina deputy wiped her tears again then rued with a somber sniffle,

"Magi of the Interior like us do not have magic like the Archangels do. We were too scared to wield magic again, after all. However, as soon as my team and I learned the truth, we wanted to fight back right away! We wanted the devil Homura Akemi to pay!"

Esperanza clenched her fists and spat in a spiteful whisper,

"Our advanced party brought our service firearms with us from the Silver Garden - ten carbines and two machine guns. I even have Captain Anne-Marie's revolver with me too. We talked about using them against Bb. Akemi. We could cause a commotion, but we knew we would have been violently crushed. It would have been a bloodbath, but the girls and I couldn't simply stand and do nothing while Homura Akemi rules unpunished! We all want to do something! Which is why…"

Esperanza then started to tremble, shaking her head with disbelief as she said,

"Which is why we don't understand… after everything that's happened, Ate Michi… I mean… Caretaker Hideyoshi… she had the gall to abandon us and swear loyalty to the Devil that put is into this very hell we live in! She's the Caretaker of the Silver Garden - the vicar of the Goddess Madoka! She should be the one leading our crusade against the Devil!"

Elise whipped her head back and glared at Sayaka, but the blue-haired girl didn't flinch. Sayaka played with the locks of her longer hair and quietly challenged her - asking Elise if she had lied at all. The French girl took a deep breath, turned to Esperanza then said,

"Esperanza, I understand how you feel, but please listen to me. You're right. Miki-san's right. Michi has sworn to help Akemi-san… but Michi hasn't abandoned us…"

Esperanza's deep eyes grew blank as soon as Elise said this and she ferverously complained,

"How can you say that, Carissima Elise!? Can't you hear the cries of those eight million girls floating down the river!? They're screaming for justice, Carissima Elise! So if Caretaker Hideyoshi has bent her knee to the Devil, then it's up to you, Exemplar Miki and everyone else who stands with the Goddess Madoka to fight this war against them!"

"Esperanza! Please! I heard those girls loud and clear and I know for a fact that Michi does too! Michi was the one who planned this whole lantern festival, you know. She wouldn't have gone through with this crazy plan just a week before midterms if she didn't hear them! I don't know what it is that Michi sees, but she sees something that we cannot. We just need to trust her and give her some more time."

"If Caretaker Hideyoshi wanted our trust, then wouldn't she have told us what she knows?" Esperanza asked, "You were the closest one to Caretaker Hideyoshi, Carissima Elise! You were the one she trusted the most… and if she couldn't even trust you, then how in the hell can we trust her?"

Esperanza's words rattled Elise, but she didn't flinch. The French girl steeled her stance and placed her firm hands on Esperanza's shoulders. She then looked straight into Esperanza's eyes as she declared,

"I trust in Michi, Esperanza. I know her well. This is the way she works and - time and again - she has found ways through the most treacherous paths laid before her. I have seen those times with my own two eyes and I assure you - that is the reason why the Goddess Madoka chose Michi to become our Caretaker."

The French girl then gently squeezed Esperanza's shoulder as she continued to speak,

"Technically, Michi is still our caretaker, I am still her Exemplar pro tempore and you are now the Captain of the Interior. The two of us are duty-bound to serve at Michi's pleasure… but I do not give a damn about those titles and ranks anymore. What matters to me is that Michi is still my friend and there is no one else in this forsaken world that I would trust more than her!"

This time, it was Esperanza who was at a loss for words. She wanted to argue, but her words were dead in the water in the face of Elise's conviction. In the midst of the silence, Nagisa Momoe stepped out of the sidelines and joined the two at the riverside. The white-haired trumpeter tapped Esperanza's shoulder and said,

"Eri-neesan's right. I also think that Michi-neesan's still on the Goddess Madoka's side. I've been laying low these past few months, so I got to watch Michi-neesan and the others while all this was playing out. Michi-neesan's walking on thin ice and I'm not really sure why she's doing what she's doing now - but I can tell that Michi-neesan has nothing but good intentions. However…!"

The trumpeter then looked straight into Esperanza's eyes and urged,

"What I do know is that Michi-neesan doesn't want us to all start fighting each other. She has Homura-neesan on her side - that's the purple ribbon that Michi-neesan now wears, you see. If Michi-neesan really wanted us all to go to war, we wouldn't be talking comfortably like this at a lantern festival now, would we?"

The white-haired trumpeter then stole a glance at Sayaka and said,

"I agreed to help Sayaka-neesan out and meet with you all tonight. Waking up Madoka-neesan is our best and last hope to put an end to all this. We have to remind her that she's divine - that's the only peaceful way we can get out of this mess. The question we should be asking isn't how loyal Michi-neesan is, but how we can reach through to Madoka-neesan."

Sayaka now joined the three of them and put a hand on her hip as she added,

"I agree with you, Nagisa-chan, but here's the problem. The damned transfer student won't let us anywhere near Madoka, let alone let us awaken Madoka's divine powers. Asking her nicely won't do. The moment she catches wind of our plans, she's not gonna hesitate to crush us again - so we have to show her that we mean business. We have to make her think twice about even touching us and have her listen to every damn word we have to say to her. And, in order to do that, we'll need one hell of a deterrence against her - our own 'nuclear deterrence'."

Nuclear deterrence? The very mention of the term made Elise's stomach turn. Elise turned to Nagisa, wondering what the little girl thought about it. She saw an uneasy expression on Nagisa's face and the somberness in the little girl's eyes betrayed the little girl's disapproval. However, Nagisa didn't object and seemed to have resigned herself to that idea.

So, Elise turned to Sayaka and spoke bluntly in Nagisa's stead.

"I don't like the sound of that, Miki-san. What is this 'nuclear deterrence' you're talking about?"

"Witches." Sayaka then said with a smirk as her shadow shifted into that of the armored mermaid, "We're going to awaken our Witches - and like the nukes, they're going to help us prevent the Third World War."

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**The Fallen Archangels**

* * *

**Forty-seventh Act - A Glimpse of the Abyss**

That evening, a strong, unearthly wind blew downstream, rustling the powder blue paper charms hanging from the trees of the nook and casting a spray of water over the awestruck Elise. The shadow of Sayaka Miki shifted then coalesced from the spray, taking the shape of a gigantic armored mermaid that stood many times taller than Elise and loomed over her. The lights of the floating lanterns in the river illuminated the mermaid's metallic face and the massive sabre that she held like a conductor's baton.

Elise's heart raced in the midst of the Witch and she instinctively kept a hand over her ring finger. The French girl steeled her stance and prepared herself to summon a greatsword at the drop of a hat. Sayaka, however, laid a hand on Elise's shoulder and reassured,

"You don't have to be so uptight, Duramayue-senpai, she's not gonna fight you!"

Sayaka patted Elise's shoulder twice then walked past her to approach the armored mermaid with a relaxed gait. The sabre-wielder looked up to the towering Witch with admiration and, with her back turned to Elise, declared,

"I haven't had the chance to introduce you yet, Duramayue-senpai, but behold my Witch - the Mermaid Witch, Oktavia von Seckendorff!"

Elise refused to move a muscle and kept her stance firm as she demanded,

"How is this possible, Miki-san? A Puella Magi and her Witch standing side-by-side?"

With her back still facing Elise, Sayaka shrugged and casually explained,

"When Nagisa-chan and I accompanied Madoka into the Isolation Field on that fateful day, Madoka awakened our Witches. They were gonna be our backup in case things got rough - and let me tell you, it really did get rough in Homulily's barrier."

Sayaka sneered at the ground then turned to Elise as she continued,

"Nagisa-chan and I know just how useful Witches are in a large battle. My Oktavia and Nagisa's Charlotte turned the tide for us down there. The transfer student even used her own Witch - 'Homulilly' - to fight us you see, so Witches are fair game."

"Homu… lilly?"

Elise repeated the name with shock. She had heard that name before, buried beneath the veil of her still shrouded memories. Elise repeated that name in her mind and her memory of the face of the Witch slowly resurfaced. Sayaka saw Elise's reaction and her smug expression gained a smidge of displeasure,

"So… the transfer student brought Homulilly with her to the Silver Garden too, huh? Then it really is fair game. Anything goes."

The blue-haired girl folded her arms and said,

"Listen up. If we can get everyone else to join our side and awaken their Witches, we might just have a chance against the transfer student. I'm not sure if we'll be able to win against her in an open battle, but we'll be able to deter her for sure! This is as good a chance as we can get."

Sayaka then felt the eyes of Nagisa Momoe watching her closely as she spoke. So, the blue-haired girl faced the little trumpeter and reassured,

"Don't worry Nagisa-chan - I'm not gonna overstep my bounds here. I'm not planning to turn this 'Cold War' of ours into a hot one - that's the last thing we want and even a dumb raspberry like me knows that. But we'll need the transfer student's full, undivided attention. We need her to notice us, look us in the eye and face us properly - then, I'll give her a piece of my mind."

With that, Sayaka waved her hand and Oktavia dissolved along with the mist of the spray, returning to the blue-haired girl's shadow. Elise heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed her tense pose as she asked,

"So how exactly are you planning to awaken our Witches, Miki-san?"

Nagisa stepped forward again and drew Elise's attention, placing her hands together as she explained,

"I'll be the one conducting the awakening ritual, Eri-neesan. You see, I was the one who held Madoka-neesan's memories when we went into the Isolation Field to save Homura-neesan. I didn't exactly  _know_  everything that Madoka-neesan knew, but I learned just enough to figure out how to awaken a Witch. Madoka-neesan herself taught me how she did it, after all - but I know I need help to pull it off. That's where Sayaka-neesan comes in - she can help me with the rest of the process."

Nagisa stole an uneasy glance at Sayaka that the blue-haired girl pretended to not notice. The trumpeter then turned again to Elise and continued with a hopeful glint in her eyes,

"Listen - I don't want violence to break out between us either, but I also don't want us to become target practice for Homura-neesan's Clara Dolls. Mami-neesan and Kyouko-neesan won't fight against us if it comes to that, and neither will Michi-neesan… but the Clara Dolls can't be trusted! Those are the true monsters in Homura-neesan's side and, as things stand, they won't let us have our way without a fight. However… if we all have our Witches, even they will think twice!"

Sayaka then stepped forward and walked towards Elise,

"And that's how we arrived here, Duramayue-senpai."

The blue-haired girl extended her hand to Elise and asked,

"Will you join us and let us awaken your Witch?"

Elise lowered her head in deep thought and watched the ring on Sayaka's outstretched hand in the corner of her eyes. The French girl then faced Sayaka and gave a firm reply,

"Give me some time to think. Midterms are coming up, after all."

* * *

**First Interlude**

_May 28, 2088 - Friday_

Midterm season came like a storm for the students of the Mitakihara Junior High School, sweeping through the placid daily life like the steady, early summer rain. On the sixth period of Friday afternoon, Elise de Lamarliere and the students of Class 3-4 sat in tense silence as Kazuko Saotome entered the room to deliver their final midterm exam that semester - World History.

As the teacher distributed the exam sheets, Elise noticed her seatmate Mami happily gesturing to her. Elise discreetly turned to her classmate who then smiled at her and whispered,

" _Bon chance, De Lamarliere-san_."

Mami was confident about this exam, Elise thought. History happened to be the golden-haired gunner's favorite subject. Elise returned Mami's smile and whispered back,

" _Bon chance aussi, Mami_."

With that, the exam papers reached Elise's desk and the French girl twirled her pen in her right hand. She wrote down her name and started to answer the exam that she had been preparing for all week together with the girls of the Mitakihara Quintet.

In the past few days, after their regular Wraith hunts, the Mitakihara Quintet regularly gathered at Mami Tomoe's apartment as always. They always talked about strategy and distributed the loot of Grief Cubes amongst themselves over a spot of tea and cake as well. The only difference that week, however, was that the girls also brought their schoolbooks with them and stayed over to study until late in the night.

Michi and Elise worked together on their History exams under the knowledgeable Mami's watch. The golden-haired gunner had all sorts of physical and digital books about world history as well as notebooks filled with her own observations - enough to make a small section of an encyclopedia. Elise always wondered why Mami had so much History notes but, every time she asked the gunner, she would only get some sugarcoated, vague answer like, 'I just really like History' or 'I found it really interesting'.

For someone to put that much effort into compiling notes, Elise knew that it was more than just a mere passing interest. However, she kept her thoughts to herself and let Mami fill in the large blanks of her knowledge of world history after the Second World War.

Then, when Michi and Elise returned home to the  _Hanasou_ , Elise slept and dreamed about the things she had learned - putting a face to the name of the tumultuous period of the Cold War.

In Elise's mind, she saw the major battles of the Korean War playing out to her like an oil painting in motion. Elise saw the troops of the United Nations Command fighting the North Koreans and their allies clashing over the rivers of the Korean Peninsula in great detail and walked among them in the harshest fights. Elise took in the harsh sights and sounds of battle and burned it all into her memory.

Come exam time, Elise simply had to close her eyes and listen to the pitter-patter of rain to wash away the mundane scene of the Mitakihara Junior High School and whisk herself back into that oil painting of the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter. There, she watched North Koreans assaulting the positions of the unprepared and under-armed UN and South Korean troops while US Navy F4U Corsairs flew overhead. The answers to the exam came naturally to her as she walked through those battlefields.

Just like that, Elise breezed through the multiple choice section and reached the final midterm essay. She twirled her pen confidently again and began to write, outlining her essay on the fly. When she closed her eyes to immerse herself in the battlefield once more, however, Elise noticed something strange. The mud-stained, shell shocked soldiers were replaced by soot-covered, shell-shocked girls with distinct black berets.

'Wait a second…' Elise thought, taking a step back from the battlefield in surprise. The French girl stumbled back on the base of a golden frame and fell on her rear.

" _Sacre bleu…!_ " Elise groaned as she picked herself up. She felt the familiar coolness of polished marble on her hands as she did then felt a chill run up her spine.

The French girl looked around and saw that same, endless gallery that she had seen in her dreams in the past - marble floors with handsome mahogany-paneled walls. Paintings - such as the oil painting she had been immersing herself in lately in her sleep - hung in golden frames along with landscapes hanging from walls as far as the eye could see.

Then, just as always, the phantom presence lingering around the gallery approached her from what felt like everywhere. Elise whirled her head and body around, searching for the presence but it always eluded her. The sound of flowing water coming from above - coming from the moving painting of the Rhine River on the ceiling - filled Elise's ears.

Suddenly, the phantom slithered up behind Elise and grabbed her by the shoulder to whispered,

"Did you miss me already,  _ma cherie_? Or are you naturally inclined to losing your way?"

The French girl quickly jolted up from her seat and her pen fell from her open hand to the classroom floor. The infinite gallery she had stumbled into disappeared in an instant, popping like a bubble around her.

Thrown back into the real world, Elise felt the eyes of all her classmates looking at her. The mousy Kazuko Saotome, on the other hand, was hiding behind Mami and her desk with a look of grave concern on her face.

"Uhm…" Saotome started as she pointed to the digital clock on the wall, "Time's up, Duramayue-san. Please pass your papers."

"Ah… right. I'm sorry." Elise apologized as she arranged her papers with a dejected sigh. She had prepared so much for that exam with Mami's help, so she wondered just how badly her unfinished essay would hurt her. When she glanced at the answer sheet, however, the essay that she had in her head was already written there - word for word and in her distinct handwriting.

Dumbfounded, she passed her paper forward and hid her face in her right hand. Elise, however, felt a small tap on her shoulder. Mami Tomoe was holding Elise's pen up to her with a kindly smile. The French girl sheepishly took back the pen, gave Mami a thankful nod, then kept quiet as Saotome dismissed the class.

Elise stiffly packed her things as her classmates gladly flew out of the classroom and even Mami seemed to be in a hurry to leave. The golden-haired gunner hoisted up the strap of her school bag over her shoulder then smiled at Elise saying,

"I'll be going on ahead, De Lamarliere-san - I need to prepare for tonight. Congratulations on finishing the exam!"

"Thanks, Mami - same to you."

With that, the golden-haired gunner briskly walked out of the classroom while Elise turned her attention back to her things. Before long, all of Elise's classmates had left the classroom, leaving her alone with the plucky teacher. Saotome was preparing her things meticulously, arranging the exam papers into neat piles of questionnaires and answer sheets.

The teacher then turned towards Elise and cautiously asked,

"Uhm, Duramayue-san… you're not busy, are you?"

Elise shook her head politely then asked,

"Would you like me to help you, Saotome-sensei?"

The teacher nodded happily and said,

"That would be nice, thank you!"

Saotome packed the papers into manila folders and passed the questionnaire folder to Elise. It was a rather light envelope that weighed hardly more than a few feathers, Elise thought. Saotome wouldn't have had any trouble carrying dozens or even hundreds more of those folders, so Elise figured that the teacher had something else in mind.

Elise and Saotome walked side by side through the third year halls towards the connector bridge to the auxiliary building. The crowds of homebound students thinned around them then disappeared once they reached the abutment. It was at this time that Saotome finally spoke her mind,

"So, Duramayue-san - how have you been settling into Mitakihara? Has there been any trouble lately?"

Elise kept a calm face, but she was quietly on guard. She dissolved the silver ring on her right hand with a flick of her thumb then wore a practiced smile as she said,

"Things have been going swell, Saotome-sensei. What makes you think there's trouble?"

"Well, Duramayue-san, I'm still a little bit worried about what happened earlier. I couldn't help but feel that your mind was wandering a while ago - but your hands were writing until the very end. It was like… you were somewhere else."

Elise paused for a moment, taken aback by Saotome's oddly sharp perception. The French girl dug her fingers into the manila folder of questionnaires then stole a quick glance at the teacher's hands. Some way, somehow, Elise expected to see a sign of a Puella Magi's silver ring or any other unusual mark - but there were none of those. Elise then turned to the teacher's brown eyes behind her glasses and wondered just how sharp the teacher's eyes were,

The French girl skillfully turned her practiced smile into a thoughtful, apologetic frown and mustered a composed response,

"I apologize for that, sensei. These past few weeks have been tiring - what with the Cultural Festival earlier this month and the lantern festival just last Friday. I was looking forward to finishing the exam so much that I lost track of time."

The teacher gave an uncomfortable laugh then said with a sympathetic tone,

"I… totally agree with you, Duramayue-san. Things have been stressful for me too - juggling all the roles that fell upon my plate. The Doomsday Clock is getting wound back more and more each day, but our troubles here never end do they?"

"No they don't." Elise agreed with a playful flourish.

The teacher and the French girl shared a chuckle then reached the faculty lounge. They set down the folders of questionnaires and answer sheets on Saotome's desk and the teacher proceeded to arrange them. As she did so, Saotome smiled and offered Elise a seat on a small folding chair beside her desk. Elise obliged and quietly waited for Saotome to finish.

Elise's eyes then swept through the plucky teacher's desk - a low-rise cubicle with the bare minimum of decorations. It was just like the other cubicles around in the faculty lounge, save for the the nametag that read 'Kazuko Saotome - Coordinator of the MJHS International Student Program'.

Saotome's things were arranged rather neatly, with stacks of papers and folders under 'Class 1-2', 'Class 2-1' and 'Class 3-4'. The cubicle had a holographic-screen desktop computer like the other teacher's, but Saotome also kept a large corkboard instead of digital dashboards like everyone else.

On that corkboard, there was a paper calendar showing the month of May with nearly all of the days crossed off. A framed diploma from Doshisha University hung there as well together with lesson plan templates, landline telephone numbers from the school directory, a grocery list for that evening and a number of inspirational quotes from historical figures. Then, Elise noticed a handful of polaroid photos near the holographic desktop screen.

There was a photo of a much younger Saotome posing together with another girl who looked like the younger version of Madoka Kaname's mother. They were wearing the iconic uniform of the Mitakihara Junior High School and were holding up their rolled diplomas in hand and had the brightest smiles on their faces.

Saotome finished browsing through her papers before long then set them atop the 'Class 3-4' pile. She then before pulled up her own chair and sat before Elise. The teacher adjusted her glasses then pulled out a sheet of paper from the Class 2-1 pile as she started,

"Now, Duramayue-san, I'm only supposed to do this for my freshman and sophomore classes - but since you're a third year transfer student, I guess I can make an exception."

The teacher handed the paper to Elise with a smile, "It's a career plan sheet."

"Career plan sheet?" Elise repeated, tilting her head as she read through the paper.

"Yes! Did you have a particular career path in mind, Duramayue-san? Are there any high schools you were interested in applying to? Are you planning to go back to Strasbourg, or do you want to stay here in Japan? Any particular plans for the future?"

Elise had a few false starts, but she took a while but she couldn't seem to piece together a good reply. She was caught off guard by the question since she never really thought much about her own future.

During the Second World War, she spent her years doing everything she could to keep Lorelei Sankt alive by any means necessary. During her short time in the Silver Garden, she devoted herself to serving the Goddess Madoka with Michi and the others. Even the wish that she made to become a Puella Magi was meant to benefit someone other than herself. Faced with such a foreign question, the usually well-spoken French girl was at a complete loss.

The teacher panicked when she saw Elise struggle. Saotome waved her hands in front of her student in a flustered flurry to snap Elise out of it. She then managed to smile again as she said,

"Duramayue-san, you don't have to rush! Gosh - I remember the time my teacher asked me that question in my second year. I thought that I knew what I wanted, but it was a much more complicated question than I thought. It was the future we were talking about - my future."

Saotome then laid a hand on Elise's shoulder and said,

"Now, I want you to take some time and think about your future. What you want to do with this life you've been given? Take your time and submit that to me when you're ready, okay?"

Elise took another cautious look at the teacher and then saw her own reflection in Saotome's glasses. The teacher sat upright and Elise saw through to Saotome's brown eyes - after which she gave Elise a knowing, almost understanding smile. The French girl suddenly felt like she understood the teacher a bit more than she thought she ever would.

So, Elise folded the paper neatly then smiled back at Saotome and said,

"Thank you, sensei. I'll think about it - the future."

* * *

**Forty-eighth Act - A Tale of Two Exemplars**

"Cheers!"

Five teacups clinked merrily above the coffee table in the living room of Mami Tomoe that evening where Elise found herself in the company of the Mitakihara Quintet, as always. The girls all sat together, sharing a large pot of sweet chamomile tea and a large box of Mami's homemade pumpkin Castella sponge cakes. Tea parties like these had become a part of Elise's routine ever since she and Michi joined the Quintet - there was always tea and there was always some some sort of cake.

That evening, however, Kyouko was in an exceptionally lively mood. Elise watched with a mix of shock and amazement as the red-haired girl hungrily wolfed down the Castella cake before washing it down with cup after cup of chamomile tea.

"Wahahaha, yeah~!" The spear-fighter heartily cheered, raising up her teacup victoriously, "We're finally done with exams! I was cuttin' it close for a while there, but I think I did alright this time! I checked and I double-checked, and I think I did a pretty good job!"

"Sakura-san, it's only just the midterms." Mami gently reminded as she poured some more tea into Kyouko's outstretched cup, "The final exams are still in a few months. We all still have to prepare for that."

"Geh - you didn't have'ta remind me, meanie." Kyouko mumbled, pouting as she swirled the tea in her cup. She quickly then grinned back at the gunner, however, and gladly said,

"I'm not worried about some final exam either though - not when you're helpin' me, Mami!"

Mami blushed and sighed,

"Gosh~ what am I going to do about you, Sakura-san?"

Beside Elise, Michi was chuckling at the scene - hiding her mouth behind her hands and closing her eyes, almost as if she were embarrassed about finding the exchange funny. This was the right hand of the devil, Elise thought, and she was chuckling over trivial things.

More than that, however, what truly caught Elise's attention was the slight snicker from the usually poker-faced Homura. The time-traveler and leader of the Hanasou Quintet was wearing a cautiously placid expression that Elise never knew the uptight Homura could make.

Whatever it was that Michi was doing for Homura, Elise figured, Michi must have been doing well. That was what Homura's rare smile told her. However, this wasn't a reason for Elise to lower her guard - not even one bit.

As the girls happily chatted around the triangular coffee table, Elise noticed the tiny figure of Nagisa Momoe in her peach-colored polka-dot pajamas poking her head out from the second floor. Mami noticed the elementary-schooler there as well and said,

"Come on and join us, bebe! We have chamomile and Castella!"

"Ehehe, okaaay~!"

The little girl briskly climbed down the stairs and eagerly rushed to the coffee table - only to realize that she didn't have any plates or utensils. The little girl then glimpsed at Elise for a split second, catching her attention, before turning back to Mami,

"Mami-neesan, I'll go get my stuff!"

Elise promptly set aside her teacup then rose up to offer,

"Let me help you with that, Nagisa-chan."

"Thanks, Eri-neesan! That'll be a great help!"

With that, Elise accompanied the elementary-schooler to the kitchen, talking about school and exams while they searched for Nagisa's teacup and saucer together. Behind the innocent veil of kindly smiles and laughter, however, the two girls were having an entirely different conversation in their heads through telepathy.

" _I'm impressed, Nagisa-chan. You have been living with Akemi-san's two firmest allies for so long and you've managed to keep your cover. Your acting is superb."_

" _Well, it's not really acting if I just stay true to myself, Eri-neesan. I really do care about Mami-neesan and Kyouko-neesan and everyone else. Everyone here is family to me. When I think about it that way, everything I do comes naturally._ "

The little girl then raised a brow as she telepathically asked,

" _So then, Eri-neesan. You want to talk about Sayaka-neesan's plan, right? Have you given it some more thought?_ "

" _I have, Nagisa-chan, but I still have my doubts. I can't help but feel uneasy about what Exemplar Miki wants to do. The Goddess Madoka would certainly have the ability to return a Puella Magi's Witch to her, but I'm not sure if you and Exemplar Miki can actually… awaken a Witch._ "

The little girl picked up her cup and saucer from a low cupboard then turned to Elise firmly,

" _Don't worry, Eri-neesan, Sayaka-neesan and I can awaken a Witch. We'll have to go about it differently from how Madoka-neesan did it - especially since we only have so much magic - but we can definitely do it. You have my word on it._ "

" _How can we be sure that it will work, Nagisa-chan? The Goddess Madoka took away our Witches, didn't she?_ "

Nagisa then shook her head then showed Elise the small silver ring with an orange gem on the palm of her small hand.

" _Our magical powers and our Witches came hand in hand, Eri-neesan. The moment Madoka-neesan returned our magic to us, she also returned our Witches. However, our Witches were separated from us and were kept asleep - that means that they wouldn't violently manifest like they used to._ "

She then looked straight into Elise's ash-green eyes and said,

" _I've also had the chance to talk to your Witch, Eri-neesan - twice._ "

" _M-my Witch!? How is that possible!?_ "

" _I stumbled upon her and her realm when I was hiding from one of Homura-neesan's Clara Dolls during the Cultural Festival. She was living in that oil painting that you were restoring for the past month - and for some reason, she was able to speak like a human would. She also told me her name - it was 'Francine'._ "

'Francine'? That was the name of Elise's muse in her painting - the girl who looked into the river to see her reflection. The French girl looked into Nagisa's wide orange eyes in disbelief, but she only saw the trumpeter's firm resolve. Nagisa was telling the truth - but Elise was still not satisfied,

" _How were you able to talk to my Witch?_ "

" _I'm not exactly sure about how, but I do have my guesses._ "

" _That's fine. Please tell me, Nagisa-chan._ "

" _Hmm… well, I think that since my own Witch is awake, I have a sharper eye for other Witches. Maybe that also means that Witches don't dislike me too much since they see me as someone who is 'like them'._ "

" _Someone who's 'like them'…?_ "

Nagisa nodded then continued,

" _But my biggest suspicion is that it was because of the day itself. I don't know if you or Michi-neesan would have known, but May 1, 2088 was the day that Walpurgisnacht was supposed to manifest in Mitakihara City._ "

" _Walpurgis…_ " Elise promptly turned her head to look at Michi seated on the table getting glomped by Kyouko Sakura. The French girl shook her head with disbelief, but Nagisa continued,

" _Eri-neesan, on that day, Witches - even the sleeping ones - were roused by a magical force greater than themselves. They're drawn to bodies of flowing water too. In our case, it's the Mitakihara River. Think of May 1 as a day of magical convergence - Walpurgisnacht originally was a gathering of Witches after all._ "

With her eyes still on the living room scene, Elise asked, " _You mean the European festival?_ "

Nagisa nodded then continued,

" _My Witch Charlotte was very active that day and, as Sayaka-neesan said, so was the Witch Oktavia. Sayaka-neesan and I clearly saw our Witches and their barriers in our dreams on the eve of the festival and we hardly got any rest. I'm sure that you saw Francine and her barrier in your dreams in some shape or form too, Eri-neesan._ "

" _I did._ " Elise replied frankly, shaking her head resentfully, " _I didn't like it._ "

" _Well, Francine has quite a personality._ " Nagisa telepathically agreed and heaved a sigh, " _But she has a good head on her shoulders too. She listens to reason… but I always felt that my life was in danger when I was around her. Witches aren't supposed to talk in human language after all, and there was a snake-like slyness about her that worried me. The Infinite Gallery also looks like somewhere you can easily get lost in too._ "

The French girl then turned again to Nagisa and asked,

" _If you got to walk into her barrier and talk to her, then why didn't you wake her up yourself?_ "

" _Talking to a Witch and waking them up are two entirely different things, Eri-neesan. Anyone can talk to a Witch. They don't normally reply like people do, but the Witch Francine did. However but only the Puella Magi herself can awaken her own Witch. Sayaka-neesan said so - but it only makes sense, doesn't it?_ "

" _I guess it does…_ "

Elise sighed this time then stole a glance of Homura Akemi sipping her tea peacefully in the midst of the happy scene,

" _But even after everything that Akemi-san has done, I can't say that I fully trust Miki-san. She says she wants a peaceful resolution to all this too - but I can tell that she has ulterior motives. She also seems different from what we saw in the Silver Garden._ "

" _I have my doubts too, Eri-neesan, but I think it's the only way we'll be able to reach out to Madoka-neesan at this point. We have to work with Sayaka-neesan._ "

" _I know that, so the two of us have to keep our guards up. Tell Miki-san that I'll let the two of you awaken my Witch - but I'll keep Miki-san at arm's length. If I were you, I'd do the same. Esperanza seems to be standing firmly by whatever Miki-san wants, so if Miki-san doesn't keep her promise, then I want you to help me confront them. I don't want to have to deal with two Exemplars._ "

Nagisa nodded, and the two of them rejoined the others in the living room to have tea and Castella as if nothing had happened.

...

**Forty-ninth Act, First Movement - Waiting For The Mermaid**

_June 5, 2088 - Saturday_

A week passed since Elise gave Nagisa her consent and Elise found herself meeting with the white-haired trumpeter again. At the wooden boardwalks of the Third District, Elise and Nagisa stood together facing Tokyo Bay under the hot, early summer sun. Elise wistfully nursed a cold can of instant coffee while Nagisa was busy blowing soap bubbles into the wind with a plastic wand. Between them sat a peculiar canvass wrapped in paper by their feet as she lamented,

"Miki-san's late."

Elise thoughtfully swirled her coffee can then tapped it against the frame of the canvass and asked,

"She lives close by, does she not?"

Nagisa watched the reflection of a hilltop apartment on the rising soap bubbles before her as they popped one after the other. The little girl then replied,

"Sayaka-neesan's house is in the apartment on the hill - we can see it from here. Maybe she's preparing for the ritual - it's not gonna be easy to awaken a Witch without Madoka-neesan's full powers after all."

Elise sighed and watched the handful of bubbles floating placidly before her. In that case, they were going to have to wait, she thought. The French girl took another sip of coffee then turned to Nagisa and asked,

"Say Nagisa-chan, since it's just the two of us here, be honest with me. What do you think of this whole situation?"

The white-haired trumpeter blew another stream of soap bubbles up into the air and said,

"To be honest, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Madoka-neesan is alseep and we can't get back to the Silver Garden - if it's still there at all. But - everyone who survived is alive and well here in Mitakihara. Sometimes, I feel like there really is more than meets the eye here - and that's why I still believe in Michi-neesan."

Nagisa then waved her wand and popped the soap bubbles around her with it as she said,

"Still, we have to remember that this is all a dream - we'll have to wake up from it sometime. Awakening your Witch will help us get there."

Elise tapped the frame of her canvass with her coffee can again and said,

"I know. That's why I brought  _her_  here."

Nagisa nodded then put away her bubble wand as she faced Elise,

"There's something that's been bugging me for a while now though, Eri-neesan."

"And what would that be?"

"Ever since we got here to Mitakihara, I haven't seen a single Incubator around."

Elise hummed with suspicion,

"Hmm… ' _good riddance'_  is what I'd like to say about that, but we already knew they had something to do with all this. They trapped you in an Isolation Field, Nagisa-chan, and then trapped Akemi-san as well. But for them to suddenly disappear without a trace - I find that hard to believe. More likely than not, those rats are scheming something yet again… but what will it be this time?"

As Elise was pondering, a pair of footsteps on the wooden boardwalk reached her ears, followed by the breaking of a wave against the quay. Elise and Nagisa turned around and saw Sayaka Miki approaching them, wearing her Mitakihara Junior High School uniform on a Saturday afternoon. The blue-haired girl waved her hand apologetically and said,

"Sorry - I only just finished my make-up midterms now. I came here as fast as I could!"

'Make-up midterms?' Elise thought. So Sayaka really didn't study for the midterms at all. The French girl then noticed Sayaka's blue school bag and saw that it was filled to the brim with something that wasn't her school books.

Sayaka unzipped her bag and then proudly fished out a handful of powder blue paper charms. She handed them to Elise and Nagisa and said,

"We'll be going into the Minato-ku Gallery at the end of the boardwalk, so take these. They'll be our tickets in."

"You mean we're going to sneak inside?" Elise asked bluntly, looking at the paper charms in her hand.

"Well, we don't exactly have an expense account for art gallery tickets." Sayaka argued as she tapped her WristComm and brought up the website of the Gallery, "The entrance fees to that place are ridiculously high - what with the special exhibition for the summer and all! They also won't let us bring your canvass into the Gallery even if we paid, so we've got no choice."

"Why does it have to be here at the Gallery?" Elise asked.

Sayaka then placed her hand on her hip and said,

"The Gallery has all the elements we need to awaken your Witch, Elise. The exhibition today's putting a whole lot of mirrors in one place - the closer we are to the environment of your Witch's barrier, the better our chances of reaching out to her. The high prices also means there won't be a lot of people going around."

The blue-haired girl then looked up to the clear blue sky, letting her fast-growing hair drop down to her shoulders and said,

"The Third District is also one of the transfer student's blind-spots - her birds and Clara Dolls don't come by here often. The last thing we want is to have the devil barge in and shut us down. Satisfied?"

Elise still had her reservations, but Nagisa seemed to have no objections. The French girl heaved a sigh, tossed her coffee can into a nearby trashcan then picked up her canvass and said,

"Then let's get this over with."

With the powder blue paper charms in hand, the three girls then walked together to the Minato-ku Art Gallery - a large twelve sided dome built above the placid waters of Tokyo Bay. Holographic advertisements hovered around the dome, displaying the various exhibits of the Gallery throughout the year. On the holograms, Elise saw that the exhibit for June called ' _The House of Mirrors_ ', opened that day.

The three of them simply walked through the entrance, passing by the ticket counters and the holographic ticket checkers. Not a single soul noticed them enter the gallery, making Elise wonder again just how Sayaka managed to make her paper charms. As they made their way through the gallery, Elise turned to Sayaka and asked,

"Esperanza isn't joining us today?"

Sayaka shook her head then tucked a lock of hair behind her ears as she said,

"Esperanza-chan's got a meeting with the Broadcasting Club. Lorelei and Ligaya are with her too, I believe. The club really wants to develop the Thunder Sisters tandem after all, so they want to churn out some more scripts and skits for them next semester. Esperanza's also keeping sure that the transfer student doesn't influence them to jump on over to her side like…"

The blue-haired girl caught herself and shook her head,

"Never mind - anyways, Esperanza-chan's going to come later. Probably when we're done."

"But won't it be better to take this chance to awaken her Witch as well?" Elise wondered.

Sayaka shook her head and explained,

"Well… Esperanza-chan and the rest of the Magi of the Interior never asked for their magic to be restored, right? So it makes sense that they wouldn't have any Witches to awaken."

"Hmm… that does make sense." Elise hummed.

Before long, the girls found themselves in a secluded exhibit in the fourth section of the gallery where mirrors of all shapes and sizes surrounded them. Thousands of Elise's reflections looked right back at her from up high and down low and the sight of them all made the French girl's head spin.

"This should be a good spot." Sayaka then said.

The blue-haired girl dug into her school bag then threw the paper charms up into the air.

The charms all glowed from Sayaka's powder blue magic then attached themselves to the mirrors, to the ceiling and to the walls by their charcoal grey strings. The strings tied themselves then seemingly disappeared into thin air. Elise looked all around her, and the paper charms were indeed all gone.

"I've sealed this room from the rest of the gallery. We can use as much magic as we need to here and the transfer student will be none the wiser. It'll also make our magic resonate in this space - like an echo chamber, if you will. We won't be able to wield magic as strong as Madoka's, but this is as close as we're ever going to get here. With that said…"

Sayaka then dropped a large pouch of Grief Cubes into Nagisa's hand and said,

"Please begin the ritual, Nagisa-chan."

Nagisa nodded, pocketed the pouch, then brought out her orange Soul Gem. All around Elise, reflections of the orange Soul Gem appeared like shining lights. The pang of nostalgia that she felt during the lantern festival struck her again, but the French girl stood her ground this time.

"So then, what should I do now?" Elise asked, rubbing the edge of her silver Soul Gem ring nervously.

"Eri-neesan." Nagisa replied in her airy voice, "Don't mind me or Sayaka-neesan. Just focus on the lights and then - you should know what you have to do. It goes without saying - please be careful."

Elise grumbled, but she obliged. She held the wrapped painting and focused on the lights just as Nagisa asked and immersed herself in them. Before long, Elise felt that she too was floating in the midst of the lights, together with the multitudes of her own reflection. The orange lights then started to change on after another, turning into all sorts of colors in a beautiful chaos. Those lights aligned themselves into shapes and shifted around her like a kaleidoscope of colors.

Then, all of the sudden, the majestic display of lights went dark.

...

**Forty-ninth Act, Second Movement - The Abyss That Stares Back**

Elise felt her heart race as the art gallery and its myriad of mirrors disappeared around her. There were no more reflections or paper charms or any trace of Nagisa or Sayaka anymore. Even the wrapped canvass that Elise was holding onto had disappeared as well, swallowed up by the darkness that ensued.

In the absence of light and color, Elise found herself surrounded by an odd and depthless darkness that stretched out as far as her eyes could see.

All that was left around her was an odd, depthless darkness. In that darkness, Elise felt a dampness that slowly encircled her to the tune of a strong, invisible current. Muffled thunderous noises that made the entirety of the dark space tremble reached Elise's ears as a faint, murky light appeared above her almost as if she was underwater. Elise quickly realized that she couldn't breathe.

Elise struggled through the darkness in a frenzy, swimming towards the murky light as fast as she could. She reached the surface and gasped for air, finding herself at the banks of a muddy river. Brackish water drenched the French girl, dripping down her wavy locks of red hair. Thick clay mud all but covered Elise up to her neck and streaked her freckled cheeks.

An unearthly wave of fatigue swept throughout Elise's body and she fought hard to catch her breath and gather her bearings Just as she was wiping the mud off of her face, the thunderous noises that had been muffled before reached now reached her in full strength.

" _Attendez! Attendez! Nous travesons le Somme!"_

The French girl remembered those cries - they were the orders of the French forces to cross the Somme river in the gruesome Battle of the Somme in 1916. Ominous whistles sounded all around her, calling for a mass infantry charge from the trenches, followed by bursts of machinegun fire and artillery strikes coming from both sides of the river.

Elise looked down to her clothes and saw that she was wearing the light blue uniform of the French Army. A damp and muddy cloth cap crowned her head and a wet Fusil Gras Modele 1874 rifle was strapped over her shoulder. More importantly, after washing her hands again in the river, Elise found that her silver ring was still there.

Before Elise could even move a muscle, however, she heard the ominous whistle of a mortar shell. Her short time as a French Army scout taught her how to read those whistles and she immediately knew that it was headed straight for her.

Elise tried to leap out of the way, but the muddy river dragged her down and kept her from getting far. The French girl shielded herself with her arms as the mortar struck the water just a few meters away and exploded just below the surface. The blast thrust Elise out of the mud with flame and shrapnel, tearing the sleeves of her uniform and throwing her a half meter away. Still, Elise braved the heat and sprung back up to her feet.

All around the French girl, the fierce battle of the First World War was taking place around her. Machineguns rattled on both sides of the river and tore down whole swathes of young men out in the open as the foolish infantry charges continued with total disregard for life. It was a chaotic killing field, but Elise noticed some malicious order in that chaos. She could feel eyes focused entirely on her from a distance.

Elise whipped her head left and right, searching for those sinister eyes then found them behind the iron sights of a bolt-action Mauser rifle aimed right at her. It was the eyes of the silhouette of a young girl like herself wearing the uniform of an Imperial German scout and Elise quickly recognized them.

'Francine…!?' Elise thought.

The silhouette of the girl cocked her rifle and Elise promptly threw herself to the ground. The French girl dodged the silhouette girl's first shot and she scrambled to aim her own rifle for payback. Elise cocked her Fusil Gras and returned fire, but she failed to hit her mark. She quickly cocked her rifle again, however, and fired a second shot before the silhouette girl could react. This time, the shot found its way to the silhouette's side and drew blood.

Elise cocked her rifle a third time, but the silhouette started to retreat deeper into German lines. Holding her rifle with both hands, Elise chased after the silhouette as quickly as her feet would take her. She kept her head low and stayed out of the eyes of the soldiers marching to their deaths in the killing fields.

The French girl found a trail of black blood and fresh footsteps marked on the muddy ground. Elise followed the trail to a German trench where the silhouette girl was already waiting for her in ambush. The silhouette greeted her with a shot that whizzed past Elise's head and the French girl rushed into the trench to close the distance.

With just a little more than twelve paces between them, Elise and the silhouette girl pointed their rifles at each other and kept their fingers on their triggers. Elise adjusted her aim and demanded in French,

" _Dites-moi! Qui-est-tu!?_ "

When she said this, Elise then saw a smirk forming on the silhouette girl's lips. The silhouette raised up her head and cast away the shadows that hung over her brow, revealing her face to the French girl. Once she did, however, Elise jolted back in shock. So this was the face of the Witch Francine, Elise thought - a spitting image of herself. To Elise, it felt as if she was looking at herself in a cloudy mirror.

The silhouette girl's smirk then turned into a sly grin as she replied in a mix of French and English,

"Who am I, you ask? Why don't you take a good guess,  _pute Alsacien!_ "

The French girl wanted to retort, but she noticed the Witch Francine's trigger finger shift. The two girls then started trading shots with each other, landing hits on each other's sides and shoulders. Neither of them, however, seemed to wince in pain as they emptied their rifles' chambers in a matter of seconds.

Two shots struck Elise's left ribs and two shots pierced Francine's right shoulder but they both shrugged off the pain. Elise drew a knife from her bandolier and affixed it to her rifle while Francine mentally weaved the black blood flowing out of her into a knife of her own. Elise watched as the Witch fit her black blade onto the Mauser and the two of them squared off in the empty trench.

"You ask me who I am, but you are the stranger here,  _pute Alsacien_! You know who I am… but the mystery here is you! Who are  _you_  and why are  _you here_?"

Elise aimed her bayonet at the Witch's throat and growled,

" _Tais-hoi, hexe,_  or I will bury you in the Somme!"

"Ohoho, I'd like to see you try!"

Spurred by the Witch's challenge, Elise heard her heart beating in her ears and she felt a cold sweat forming on her brow. The French girl steeled her stance and cast her doubts aside. Then, as another ominous whistle called for an infantry charge, Elise and her Witch clashed with their bayonets.

Elise thrust her bayonet with strong, precise strokes but Francine answered back with thrusts of her own. The two girls danced with their blades and kept each other at half their rifle's lengths - so close yet so far. As their skirmish dragged on, however, Elise noticed a look of boredom growing in the Witch's eyes. Then, all of the sudden, the Witch assaulted Elise with a flurry of strokes and disarmed the French girl.

A searing pain swept through Elise's right hand as her Fusil Gras rifle fell beside her. The French girl had no time to heal herself, however, as Francine's ferocious assault continued. The Witch thrust her black bayonet at Elise unopposed, forcing the French girl further and further back into the trench. All the while, the Witch pompously barked with every thrust,

"Sloppy! Who the hell are you!? What have you done with Elise de Lamarliere? Who this stranger who is trying so hard to fight like the girl in the blue kimono!? The Oriental murderer pierced your side once, but did she pierce your very soul too? Disgusting!"

Elise's eyes followed the black blade and moved herself away from the Witch's wild thrusts. She could see that Francine seemed to be fixated on attacking at her ribs. That was the spot that Francine shot at earlier and the same spot that Michi's naginata pierced more than a century ago. The Witch quickened her tempo and started to taunt her unarmed opponent again,

"Running away! Running away! Is that all you're capable of,  _ma cherie?_  You aren't here to kill me - so why are you here!?  _Ou est votre feu? Vous desir de vivre? Vous volonté du tuer!?_  All I see is an empty husk of a girl whose time has long since passed! You sacrificed yourself for the Magni Domina who knew nothing about you - and now you're playing second fiddle to the Oriental who killed you!"

Elise's blood boiled as she listened to the Witch's rant, but she could feel herself losing her footing quickly. She was being pushed back into a corner and her head was starting to spin. The gunshot wounds she sustained and the cut at the back of her right hand were both starting to sting as well. Elise gritted her teeth and summoned her greatsword with a flash of lilac light.

The French girl caught her sword and parried Francine's bayonet, breaking the knife off of the Witch's rifle. Elise then started to fight back again, swinging her large blade at the Witch as she cried,

" _Tais-hoi!_  I will not let you spit out slander against Lorelei and Michi as you please,  _hexe!_ "

Elise's greatsword swished just inches away from Francine's neck, but the Witch skillfully evaded every strike as well. Now on the receiving end, the Witch seemed to grow more and more ecstatic.

" _Oui… oui!_  Yes! That's better! Come at me with everything you've got,  _pute Alsacien!_  Show me that you're still alive in that miserable shell!"

Francine's wild and delirious ranting frustrated Elise, prodding her to strike at the Witch even harder with every swing. The tables had turned and it was now Elise who cornered Francine against the wooden frames of the German trench. The Witch spread her arms, pressed her back against the wooden frame and raised her eyes up to the grey heavens with a blissful expression on her face,

"Pierce me, Elise de Lamarliere! Pierce me like the Oriental pierced you, if you can!"

Elise spat on the ground and spitefully obliged. She charged at the cornered Francine with her greatsword for one final swing, but Elise felt that something was off. Just as Elise was about to strike her doppelganger, the bleeding on Francine's shoulder intensified and her entire body seemed to melt into a mass of her black blood. That black blood stained the wooden frame of the trench then started to seep in.

'A portal?' Elise thought.

The melting Witch snickered at the confounded Elise and taunted her with a patronizing smirk. Elise clicked her tongue and flexed her left arm, readying herself to tackle the Witch before she disappeared. When she attacked, however, Elise ran straight through the black portal and was thrown into an entirely different realm.

Elise crashed on her side onto the cold marble floor of a posh yet familiar place - a place that she had seen in her dreams. This was the so-called 'Infinite Gallery', Elise thought as she gathered her bearings up, and the Witch Francine was the elusive curator of that realm. The French girl tightened her grip on her greatsword and hoisted herself back up to her feet.

The French girl whipped her head left and right to look for any sign of that elusive curator, but the hallway was clear. Instead, Elise saw an oil painting that depicted the Battle of the Somme where she came from to her right. There, she noticed a fresh trail of black blood bleeding down from the golden frame of the painting. The trail then snaked down the gallery and continued a ways down.

When Elise had a closer look, however, she saw that the black 'blood' appeared to be thick, black oil paint. As a matter of fact, she recognized that paint. It was the knock-off brand of German paint that stained her hands and her clothes for days on end when she was a child - the brand that Elise absolutely loathed. Just how far was this Witch going to go to tick her off, she wondered.

Elise swung her blade and whisked away the mud and paint from its edge. She then brought out her lilac Soul Gem and surrounded herself in lilac light and transformed her muddy blue uniform into her Puella Magi attire. Once she changed clothes, however, the trails of blood from her gunshot wounds became clear and they were much worse than she first thought. The cut on the back of her hand too wasn't healing on its own either.

The stinging sensations from Elise's wounds were starting to spread throughout her body and her blood felt unnaturally thin. Elise watched her blood dripping down the plates of her armor and it seemed to have the consistency of watercolor paint. She could only wonder what kind of poison Francine attacked her with.

Elise shook her head and surrounded herself with magic to seal her wounds. The French knight had some trouble stopping the bleeding at first, but her lilac magic soon overpowered Francine's potent poison. She finally understood why Nagisa felt so uneasy when she stumbled into the Infinite Gallery. The Witch Francine was a much more sinister character than Elise ever thought.

Once Elise healed herself as best as she could, she wiped the bloodstains off of her breastplate then started to follow the trail of black paint once more. She proceeded down the Infinite Gallery and heard the sounds of the Rhine river from the painting on the ceiling. The flow of Strasbourg's river above Elise seemed to guide her as well, its murmurs strengthening to urge her forward.

Then, the murmurs subsided and the flow of the painting of the Rhine river became stagnant. The trail of black paint ended as well, leading onto a painting on Elise's right. It was an oil painting of yet another river - this time, the frigid river of Khalkin Gol by Nomonhan town in the wintery Fall of 1939. Just like the scene around the Somme River, the banks of the Khalkin Gol were bleak and dark beneath overcast skies.

Elise was thinking about the Witch Francine's taste in paintings when she noticed a small detail in the painting of the scenery. There was a small figure moving about in one of the distant foxholes by the riverside. That figure was pointing another rifle - this time, an Arisaka Type 99 - right at Elise,

" _Merde…!_ "

The French girl hugged the wall beside the painting and took cover as a hail of large-caliber Japanese rounds flew out of the painting. The bullets struck the wooden panels of the Infinite Gallery's walls and dug deeper than Elise's wounds from the Mauser. Trails of poisonous black paint also dribbled out of the bullet holes and seemed to blacken patches of the mahogany panels from within.

Elise scoffed and pressed her ear against the frame of the Khalkin Gol painting, listening for the silhouette girl's gunfire. Another five shots rang through and struck the gallery's mahogany panels and Elise promptly bolted into the bleak painting.

The silhouette girl laughed maniacally with amusement when she saw Elise emerge. Francine dropped her Arisaka rifle and retreated again like she did in the banks of the Somme river. Once again, Elise gave chase and bolted towards the foxhole after the Witch.

As Elise was closing the distance, she heard the Witch shouting out to the grey heavens,

"Hahahaha! What a curious stranger you are,  _ma cherie!_  You have no conviction - no creed! For the longest time, you've done everything in your power to get rid of me - but now you're running after me so persistently! Make up your mind,  _s'il vous plait_! This is the reason why you're lost so often - you don't even know where you're going!"

Elise furrowed her brow and mentally blocked out the Witch's words. Instead, she focused on her breathing and picked up her pace as she scanned the chilly Mongolian plain with cautious eyes. Far in the distance, Elise could see silhouettes of Mongolian cavalry units ambushing motorized Japanese detachments in the hills around Khalkin Gol. The mangled remains of both Japanese infantrymen and Mongolian cavaliers and their horses meanwhile littered the riverside. Formations of Japanese and Soviet aircraft were also duelling high up in the stark grey heavens.

The French girl reached the foxhole from where Francine shot at her before long and found a pair of derelict Japanese Type 95 Ha-go light tanks buried in the mud. The light tanks were pockmarked with large-caliber bullet holes from heavy machine guns and a dozen vultures perched atop the wreckage. The carnivorous birds cawed and feasted on the charred remains of the tank crews, some of whom were hanging out head first from the light tanks' cupolas.

Elise shook her head at the sight. She didn't want to imagine how those poor souls met their end, so she shooed the vultures away and pressed on through between the two knocked-out tanks. As she did, however, she suddenly heard the unwelcome roar of a rickety tank engine nearby.

When Elise cleared the two disabled tanks, she found her doppelganger yet again. This time, however, Francine was surrounded by a ball of black paint that was shifting and molding into the shape of a Soviet T-28B medium tank. Francine grinned at Elise from inside the forming tank and taunted,

" _J'attendez c'est jour, pute Alsacien_. You spent your pitiful life fighting the currents of fate, and yet those currents have finally brought you to me.  _Un enfant perdu_  - a lost child washed up on my shores… that is what you are.  _Tu me detestes!_ You hate me and you did everything in your power to deny my existence, but a child like you cannot make me leave. I've always been here and you'll never make me go away!"

Elise didn't wait for the Soviet tank to finish forming and scrambled back behind the two derelict Japanese tanks for cover. A high explosive round promptly struck the gap between the tanks where Elise was just moments ago, followed by hails of machinegun rounds. Stray bullets pierced through the Japanese tanks' flimsy armor and whizzed past Elise's head, grazing her wavy locks of red hair.

The French girl crawled down into the foxhole and took cover from the random shots flying overhead. Every so often, Elise heard the Soviet tank fired its main gun as well, followed by explosions that rattled the derelict Japanese tanks with deafening noise. The rattling shook the cupola of one of the tanks and the body of the soldier that had been hanging out of it slid down into the foxhole beside Elise with a sickeningly wet plop.

Elise winced at the horrendous sight of the half-burnt, half-eaten body of the Japanese soldier and the unmistakable stench of death that emanated from him. However, Elise kept her attention on the peculiar hand grenade strapped to the dead soldier's bandolier. Elise had seen that kind of grenade before, she thought. As a matter of fact, Elise had seen Michi wield those very same grenades in the past.

"Eight seconds… right Michi?" Elise thought out loud.

The French girl gulped and took the grenade off of the soldier's bandolier. She then crawled around the light tanks and caught a glimpse of Francine's marauding Soviet tank. Elise raised herself up from the Mongolian mud and figured out just how far away the Soviet tank was. Once she was satisfied, she took a deep breath, unpinned the curious hand grenade then struck it against the hulk of the Japanese tank.

With that, Elise sprinted diagonally towards the Soviet tank and started to count beneath her breath,

" _Un, deux, trois…_ "

Elise saw the Soviet tank reacting to her charge. The tank turned its main gun turret towards the charging Elise while the machineguns that protruded out from the tank's side tried to shoot the French knight down. Elise, however, was too quick for the tank to follow and the volleys of lead missed her completely.

The tank itself then started to turn to try and catch up with the French girl. It dug its treads into the thick mud to the tune of its roaring engine, but Elise didn't stop for a moment. She simply kept her head down and continued her urgent counting without missing a beat,

" _Quatre, cinq, six...!_ "

When Elise reached that point, she hurled the grenade at the Soviet tank's unwieldy treads. The grenade went off and the blast tore through the chains of the left tread, dislodging the T-28B's flimsy suspension. The Soviet tank skidded to a halt and spun out of control in the thick mud, but it kept its main gun turret finally managed to catch up to Elise.

The tank gun returned fire and Elise saw a peculiar high-explosive shell flying out of the barrel. The shell was dripping with the same poisonous black paint that Elise saw in Francine's bullets. Unfazed, Elise dove forward and dodged the poisoned shell by mere inches. She then rolled and sprung back up to her feet while keeping her greatsword firmly in both hands.

Elise heard a flurry of metallic clinks coming from within the tank yet again. Tank guns weren't supposed to load that quickly, the French girl thought, but that didn't matter to her. When the tank fired another shot, Elise was already prepared.

The French girl brought her greatsword in front of her at an angle and parried the high explosive shell. She heard the serpentine hiss of the poison as the shell struck the flat of her blade, but Elise followed through with a flick of her wrist. Then, with a fierce cry, Elise hurled the shell right back at the rear of the Soviet tank.

Elise watched the deflected shell smash through the thin rear armor and detonate deep in the tank's engine block. Diesel fuel burst into flames and and Elise had to shield herself from the shockwave of the blast. Then, the French girl raised her sword and unleashed a powerful horizontal slash at the burning tank.

The greatsword cut through the damaged armor with almost no resistance, so Elise her blade deeper into the tank. Then just as Elise's blade was about to break into the crew compartment, the burning tank started to dissolve again into black paint. Elise pushed her sword even harder as she roared,

"You're not going to run away from me again, Witch!"

An armor plate of the Soviet tank faded and Elise saw the Witch Francine within. The Witch was watching Elise with amusement as she taunted in reply,

"I'm not the one who's been running away all this time,  _ma cherie_  - and now… I've got you right where I want you!"

Elise then felt another portal forming in the heart of the swirling black paint and that portal was starting to pull her and her sword into it. The face of the Witch Francine disappeared into the portal as well, snickering at the shocked Elise.

Elise grunted and struggled to pull her sword out of the abyss. She dug her steel-plated boots deep into the Mongolian sand but the force of the pull grew stronger with every passing moment. The French girl tried to let go of her blade, but thick, snake-like tendrils shot out of the swirling mass of black paint. The snakes coiled around Elise's arms and her legs and, all at once, mercilessly tightened their grips.

Elise fought to keep her composure as ungodly pain gripped her entire body, robbing her of her strength. This was the same kind of pain that disabled her in her final duel with Michi Hideyoshi in 1945 - a kind of pain that Elise never once forgot. Tears formed in Elise's eyes against her will and the black vortex seemed to double in strength in one moment then triple in the next.

There was no fighting it. Elise was soon swept off of her feet and she was dragged viciously into the darkness once more.

The French girl fell on her side with a dull thud and she felt the unwelcome cold of the marble-tiled floor of the Infinite Gallery pressed against her skin. A shallow yet absolute pain numbed Elise's senses and she found herself unable to move. The black snakes that constricted her in Khalkin Gol slithered away on the marble floor, but the pain in Elise's arms and legs lingered.

Elise fell onto her back and sprawled out on the floor spread-eagled and defeated. The French girl's fair skin was pale and the bluish veins on her wrists bore traces of Francine's black paint. The cut at the back of Elise's hand and the bullet wounds she took in her side were sealed but they felt as if they had been ripped open again.

Elise's wounds never truly healed and the poison in her veins was never purged. Once again, just like in the Edificio Gumamela, she didn't notice how deep into the darkness she had gone before it was too late.

The French girl resigned herself again to fate. From where she lay, her eyes saw the painting of the the Khalkin Gol river from where she came. Traces of black paint dripped down the golden frame of the painting, but they shifted from slithering lines to the shape of human hands and feet leading up to the spot in the floor where she lay.

Elise could feel the contour of her silver ring, but there was no trace of her greatsword anywhere nearby. She tried to summon a new blade for herself, but the lilac light she produced only fizzled pathetically before her eyes.

Disappointed, Elise turned away and her eyes saw a peculiar painting hanging on the walls of the gallery in front of her - the painting of the old self-portrait that Elise made in the last few years of her reign as the Carissima of Manila.

The portrait was an imposing figure that was clad in elite Filipino regalia fit for the royalty and stared down upon Elise with a haughty and disdainful glare. It was the same glare that Elise knew was burned into the memory of all the girls who had come and gone through the halls of the Edificio Gumamela - from her innocent Aspirants to her clandestine Incognitas, and from the Magni Domina of Salvae to the rogue 'girl in the blue kimono'.

Comparing herself to the painting hanging before her stung Elise's heart. In the midst of that painting that dug into the souls of all who saw it, Elise felt empty. The irony wasn't lost on Elise. She was nothing but a shadow of her former self.

As despair encircled Elise's somber heart and as bitter tears formed at the sides of her eyes, the walls of the Infinite Gallery shifted around the broken Carissima. The walls drew inwards and compressed into a singular, finite room that took the shape and form of Elise's posh bedroom in the Edificio Gumamela.

The room was dark, but there were lights flowing in from the pair of portafinestra windows to Elise's left. The light of a full moon and the lights of a placid, star-swept sky shone upon Elise on the floor like spotlights on a stage. In contrast, the lights of the occupied capital were ominously absent.

Moments later, the ominous whistling of bombs echoed in Elise's bedroom followed by the blasts of aerial bombs and artillery shells that landed just outside the window. The city of Manila was set ablaze with every blast and Elise knew that it was only a matter of time before shells rained down upon the Edificio Gumamela again. She knew for a fact that the Edificio Gumamala was leveled by bombs and flame and not a trace of it remained in modern day Manila.

However, Elise stayed still on the floor as the flames rose beyond the window.

A curious noise the reached Elise's ears, coming from her right. The heavy clicks and creaks of the locks of her bedroom's handsome mahogany doors followed by the genteel gait of thin, Oriental, wooden slippers that were headed towards Elise.

The French girl weakly turned her head to the right and saw the Witch Francine clad in the same Filipino regalia that she saw in her portrait - a Maria Clara gown that matched the painting down to the last detail.

Elise watched the Witch approach her and look down upon her as their faces were illuminated in turns by the stars and the flames. The French girl couldn't bear to look at the Witch and turned away from her again, prompting Francine to click her tongue in disappointment,

" _Tsk, que pathetique!_  Look at you there, sprawled out on the ground like the lost child that you are. This is what you've been running from all this time, and you're coming to realize it now,  _oui?_ You're the one who's been running away from  _me_ \- you've been running away from yourself!"

Elise didn't want to hear any of this, so she weakly moaned,

" _Tais-toi, hexe…_ "

Francine paid the broken Carissima no heed and continued,

" _Porquoi, pute Alsacien_? You love to talk, but you never listen - especially when you hear a truth that you dislike but cannot refute. You've bent opinions, swayed emotions and twisted the truth to suit your needs as if it were second nature. But when the truth twists back, you fall into despair!"

Francine paced around the room then regarded the regal portrait of Elise that hung on the wall as she said,

"The Elise de Lamarliere that I knew was much stronger than this. I refuse to believe that I was brought to existence by such a frail, lost child. All talk and no bite! You talk about 'nuclear deterrence' with the mermaid girl and plot with the trumpeter, but do you even have the guts to pull the trigger when the time comes!?"

Elise's hands clenched into fists at her sides on the cold marble floor as she cried,

" _TAIS-TOI, HEXE!_ "

Francine, however, whirled angrily back towards Elise and shouted,

" _VOUS PARLEZ VOUS-MÊME, ELISE DE LAMARLIERE!_ "

Francine's sharp voice rang clear in Elise's ears. Elise could feel the Witch's sharp, ash-green looking into hers, piercing her very soul without having to say a word. The Witch then lowered her head and cast a shadow over her eyes as she coaxed,

" _Relevez-vous et regardez-moi, pute Alsacien_. Stand up and look at me, even if it's the last thing that you do."

Elise felt her heart throb as Francine's words lingered in her mind. The French girl furrowed her brow and shored up her strength to pick herself up from the cold marble floor. She pushed back against the ground with her trembling hands and propped herself up on with her weakened legs, but she managed to stand and meet the Witch eye to eye. Elise's ash-green eyes met with Francine's and started pushing back against the Witch's stare as well.

A satisfied smirk formed on Francine's lips and the Witch continued to speak,

" _Ecoute moi_.  _Depuis le jour où vous m'avez réveillé, nous avons tout partagé._  Your pain, your sorrow, your fury and your joy - you may not have known it, but we shared them all until the bitter end. You've teetered on the edge of Witch-hood for so long that the bond between us grew stronger than the others… and I knew you better than you knew yourself."

The Witch then spread her arms out beside her and twirled around with delight, basking in the light of the bombs and the stars as she continued,

" _Je n'étais rien d'autre qu'une simple hexe,_  but I learned how to speak like humans do. Your articulate speeches in all those different languages, spoken with such conviction changed me from within! But it was your bravery and your decisiveness that truly charmed me - so I decided to walk with you through those bitter decades in the shadows. You changed me, and I changed you too.  _C'était la vie que nous vivions_."

Elise steadied her breath as she listened to the Witch speak. Francine's Parisian accent that frustrated Elise seemed to shift ever so slightly to the more to Elise's own Alsatian. The Witch then faced Elise and summoned two of Elise's own greatswords with flashes of Elise's lilac light.

Francine caught both of the swords with ease then lobbed one of them towards Elise. Even though Elise was still winded, she caught the sword out of pure instinct and she held it with a tighter grip than what she thought she could muster in that state.

When Elise held her greatsword again, she felt the ethereal pain in her arms and legs dissipating and the stinging of her wounds also ceased. Elise felt the color rushing back to her pale skin and she watched the black paint in her veins ooze out through her skin like snakes before fading away into thin air.

Just like that, the pain was gone and Elise was able to stand firm once again. Elise then saw the Witch hold her greatsword behind her with both hands. Francine looked deep into Elise's eyes again as the Witch challenged,

"If you want me to help you again, Elise, then  _avante garde_! No more tricks and riddles - take your blade and face me!  _Reconnaissez-moi pour ce que je suis_ … then take a good hard look at who  _you_  really are. Tell me who Elise de Lamarliere truly is with your blade - and show me the path that you want to carve to the future!"

Elise felt a fire starting to burn in her heart, roused by the Witch Francine's challenge. The French knight held her blade with steady hands and squared off against her Witch with a stance firmer than steel. Francine snickered at the sight and mirrored Elise's every move.

A blockbuster bomb then crashed into the buildings beside the Edificio Gumamela and exploded with ferocious fire. The blast cast blinding light into the room and whittled down Elise and her Witch until they were nothing more than identical silhouettes - mirror images of each other in the midst of the fire.

Then, like coiled springs, the two silhouettes charged each other. Swing by swing and strike by strike, the two blades met each other without fail and cast sparks of bright lilac that colored the sheer brightness that flooded the room. The two silhouettes were in perfect sync and neither of them yielded an inch of ground to the other.

The light subsided before long and Elise saw that she had traded spots with Francine in the skirmish. Francine was the one standing before the picture of Khalkin Gol while Elise stood before her own self portrait, but it didn't matter. The two of them mirrored each other's every move and their greatswords both glowed with the same lilac light. Their eyes were fixed solely on each other and, in perfect sync, Elise and her Witch both cried out at the top of their lungs,

" _Deluvio… Magnifico!"_

At their call, two rivers of bright lilac formed from the two ends of the dark room and crashed into each other, casting brilliant lilac sparks around them like brocade crown fireworks. The brilliant lights of their mirrored dance lasted only for a few moments, but Elise felt an exhilaration in her heart that she had never felt before.

Surrounded by those lilac flashes, Elise felt alive.

The sparks that twinkled in Elise's eyes soon faded away and the ferocious clash of greatswords ended in a stalemate. However, Elise was holding up a peculiar sword up to Francine's throat - an imitation of the Hideyoshi family's heirloom katana that coalesced from Francine's own black paint.

Francine saw the edge of the false, black katana then grinned back at Elise with nothing but praise,

" _Tres magnifique, Carissima Elise_! This is the Carissima that I remember - I recognize you know… and I'm sure you recognize yourself now too."

Black paint dripped from the edge of the false katana, but a victorious smirk grew on Elise's lips. The former Carissima's eyes sharpened as she spoke with the conviction that she had lost more than a century ago,

" _Mais oui, hexe_.  _Je suis Elise de Lamarliere, l'ancien Carissima de Manille et l'Archange de la Déesse Madoka Kaname_. I am Elise de Lamarliere - and so are you. You are my Witch, but we are one and the same. I have been lost all this time, but here I am now, Francine. I won't run away anymore."

Francine's grin mellowed and there was an almost tender twinkle in the Witch's eyes as she said,

"Well said,  _Alsacien_. Now that you know who you are, tell me why you are here. Tell me with the same firmness and strength that awakened me in the Somme!"

Elise waved her hand and dispelled her greatsword and Francine's with flashes of lilac light. Then, she let go of the false katana which dissolved into black paint again. With no more barriers between them, Elise looked into Francine's eyes and called out to her,

" _Francine, la hexe des peintures,_  lend me your strength and help me carve a path forward once again. The currents of fate are flowing again towards an uncertain tomorrow…  _donc, aidez-moi à peindre un avenir meilleur. Aujourd'hui, demain et pour toujours_. We'll make a future that we both want to see!"

* * *

**Epilogue**

"Eri-neesan? Hey - Er-n-san!? … -n you… me?"

"Oy - be careful, N-g-sa-ch-n, she's-… so you have to-…"

"But Eri-neesan… she's been- … and she's-..."

The muffled exchange of Nagisa and Sayaka buzzed in Elise's ears, rousing her from the dark sea of her subconscious. Elise felt herself reaching the surface of that dark water and she soon found herself lying on her back with the uncomfortable hardness of a stone bench pressed against her.

The French girl winced, bridging the disconnect between her and her surroundings until she managed to open her eyes. Elise's vision was blurred for a while, but she soon made out the twelve-sided sunroof of the Minato-ku Gallery and the cloudless blue sky above it. She had returned from the abyss, she thought, and was back in the land of the conscious.

Elise fought the stiffness that still paralyzed her body as she croaked,

"I… made it…"

When Elise said this, Nagisa's worried face quickly hovered over Elise. The French girl's ash-green eyes focused on Nagisa's orange, drawing a bright smile from the little girl. With a swell of emotion, Nagisa grabbed onto Elise's hands and cheered,

"Eri-neesan! Oh gosh, I'm glad you're okay Eri-neesan!"

"Alright…?" Elise asked as she started to overcome her sleep paralysis, "What was going on?"

The white-haired trumpeter knelt down beside Elise and squeezed the French girl's hand as she explained,

"You were tossing and turning so wildly in your sleep, Eri-neesan. You were saying all sorts of things in many different languages and then… and then you just stopped moving. Your face was pale and you looked like you were already dead!"

Elise blinked twice then sighed with a depreciative smile on her lips as she said,

"You can blame Francine for that, Nagisa-chan. She really was every bit as sly as you said she was."

When Elise said this, her shadow then appeared to stand upright on its own and shrugged theatrically. The shadow shook its head as if it didn't know what Elise was saying. Seeing her own shadow act up like that, Elise gave a rare, defeated chuckle,

" _Mon dieu_ , Francine is going to be quite a handful."

It was at this time that Sayaka came into Elise's view now, crossing her arms and wearing a triumphant smile on her lips. The blue-haired girl looked back at Elise and said,

"Good work, Duramayue-senpai. That brings us to three Witches on our side of the fence - we'll have our nuclear deterrence now before long."

Elise peeled herself off from the bench then sat upright as she faced Sayaka with probing eyes. Though Sayaka was standing victoriously with folded arms, Elise noticed Sayaka's shadow standing in attention behind her with a posture that looked ready to fight. Even further down the gallery hall, Elise noticed Esperanza Salita arriving and walking towards them with brisk steps.

Esperanza was wearing her false glasses again and wore a long, flowing steel-blue blouse that covered the leather holster for Anne-Marie Doucette's old Webley revolver. Sayaka had all hands on deck for a battle, making Elise wonder just how precarious a situation she was in just moments ago. Nonetheless, Elise was just thankful to be alive and her shadow seemed to follow suit.

The blue-haired girl then called Elise's attention again and brought up the canvas that the French girl brought into the gallery earlier. Sayaka raised the painting up to Elise's eyes for her to see and said,

"The painting changed while you were asleep - take a look."

Elise obliged and gave the painting a sharp, stern look. The changes quickly caught the French girl's eyes.

Francine was no longer in the painting looking at her reflection in the Rhine river beneath the branches of a willow tree. Instead, she saw paintings of herself and the other Archangels of the Silver Garden gathered peacefully around the tree. All of them were there with bright smiles on their lips that brought Elise herself to smile as well. The French girl nodded in approval and said,

"This is good… I like it very much."

She then turned towards Sayaka and asked,

"So, what happens now?"

Sayaka ran a hand through her long hair and put her hand on her hip as she looked up to the twelve-sided sunroof with an ambitious pose,

"We're going to need even more Witches on our side. We're going to keep getting stronger until the transfer student can't just brush us off as she pleases. We're going to stand firm and face the transfer student eye to eye. Then, we'll make her give the Goddess Madoka back to us."

The sabre-fighter then turned back to Elise and said,

"For now, take a rest Elise. You're probably tired from the ritual - I can only imagine what happened in Francine's realm."

Elise tilted her head with curiosity at Sayaka's words. Now that she was wide awake, Elise didn't feel tired at all. As a matter of fact, she felt invigorated and felt the rekindled fire in her heart that prodded her to act. However, in the corner of Elise's eyes, she noticed her own shadow making subtle gestures to her.

Elise's shadow pointed towards Nagisa who was wearing a veiled expression. Elise's eyes met with the trumpeter then heard what the little girl had to say through telepathy,

" _Go home for now, Eri-neesan - let me handle this_."

The French girl blinked, agreeing in quiet Morse before she heaved a practiced sigh. Elise then turned back to Sayaka and said,

"You're right, Miki-san - I could use some rest. But is it alright if Esperanza helps me bring home the painting?"

Elise easily saw the surprise in Esperanza's reaction. The former deputy jolted back and whipped her head towards Sayaka so quickly that her false glasses nearly slid off the bridge of her nose and the Webley revolver that she had been hiding rattled in the holster. Sayaka, however, calmly shrugged and said,

"Yeah, why not. Esperanza-chan was headed by the  _Hanasou_  anyways. She's going to go back to the school for a Broadcasting Club meeting. You and your club have big plans for the Thunder Sisters, right?"

The former deputy hastily nodded and pieced together her own reply,

"T-that's right. Ate Ligaya and Ate Lorelei will join us soon - just give me time."

Sayaka then swept her eyes from Elise to Nagisa then back as she said,

"I guess that means we'll all be heading back then. We've all been under the radar for too long, so the transfer student might start getting suspicious."

Nagisa clenched her fists in frustration, but she conceded and went along with Sayaka's plans. The four of them then proceeded out of the Minato-ku Gallery with their powder blue paper charms in hand. They slipped through the gates unnoticed again and filed together into a glass-walled bus shelter nearby.

Elise and Nagisa stood together in the shelter as they both tried to read the once happy-go-lucky Sayaka's subtle changes in demeanor. There were a myriad of questions in Elise's and Nagisa's minds, but neither of them had the chance to pick the blue-haired girl's brain enough to get any satisfactory answers.

Sayaka never once held Madoka's memories, so how did the blue-haired girl come to know so much about the Awakening ritual?

Why did the blue-haired girl seem to know so much more about the ritual than even Nagisa did?

More importantly, how did she manage to make so many of those strange, powder blue paper charms that had nearly nothing to do with her own magic?

The bus to the Eighth District then came by and carted Elise and Esperanza back to the  _Hanasou_  dormitory. Nagisa saw them off with a wave and a smile but quietly prepared to ask Sayaka those questions that she and Elise were having for the longest time.

When Nagisa turned around, however, the blue-haired girl had already disappeared. Sayaka was gone without a trace.

…

Just minutes later, Sayaka Miki emerged in the lobby of her apartment building on top of the hill facing Tokyo Bay. The blue-haired girl twirled the triplet of paper charms on her finger as she sauntered through the apartment lobby. Though there were many people around and about, none of them noticed Sayaka passing through the hall.

Sayaka caught an elevator to the fourth floor and hummed the tune of Debussy's  _La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin_  as she rose. She then marched into the Miki family home and went straight into her room. The blue-haired girl closed the door behind her and heaved a tired sigh.

Then, right on cue, Sayaka heard the sound of muffled tapping on her window behind their pink curtains.

The blue-haired girl parted the curtains then found the pinkish, hairless and bruised body of Ichibey on the other side of the window. There was a small brown pouch in his mouth as well that rattled with glassy dings as it tapped the window with its paw.

Sayaka opened the door for the battered Incubator and said,

"Right on time as always, Incubator… or should I say 'Ichibey'?"

The bruised and hairless rodent hopped onto Sayaka's desk and set the brown pouch down on the table, letting the dozens of Grief Cubes inside spill out to the wood. The creature tilted its head as it spoke,

"I've brought you more cubes, as per our agreement."

"I know, I know - I haven't forgotten my side of the deal, Ichibey."

Sayaka then closed the windows and their curtains as she spoke. She then brought out a brown pouch of her own and set it to Ichibey's right. The creature curiously pawed at the pouch and felt the heavier glassy dings of spent Grief Cubes within.

"Thank you for your service, Miki-san. This will go a long way for us both."

The battered Incubator then opened the larger brown pouch and proceeded to leisurely consume the contents as it spoke,

"You seem to be in good spirits today, Miki-san. I assume that means that the first phase of your 'experiment' was a success."

Sayaka pulled up a chair and sat before the feasting Incubator as she replied,

"Of course. Everything happened according to plan and there were no surprises for me at least. Nagisa-chan didn't seem to know everything there was to know about Awakening rituals until today. I'm sure she thought that they could only be done with the power of a supreme deity, but I proved her wrong."

The blue haired girl then rocked thoughtfully rocked back and forth in her chair as she continued,

"I don't blame Nagisa-chan for thinking that way, though. When Madoka awakened our Witches, we didn't have to go through the same kind of suffering that Elise did. Looking back at it now, there was a damn good chance that Elise wouldn't have woken up from that damn experiment."

The Incubator then wagged its tail and looked at Sayaka to speak,

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Miki-san. That was the motto of the Carissima of Manchukuo in 1939. That girl was a one of a kind Puella Magi who was able to chart the entire process of the Awakening ritual on her own! This was more than a century before the very concept of an absolute deity was even formed!"

Sayaka replied with a cautious sigh,

"It makes me wonder just what in the world that Carissima girl was trying to do with her studies… and why Mi-chan and Eri-chan fought to destroy her in Hsinking. Gosh… even Madoka didn't tell me about what that girl was trying to achieve."

Ichibey's smile then seemed to widen as it replied,

"That's because the late Carissima was studying concepts that were much, much more interesting than simply awakening Witches. Luckily for you, Miki-san, I was also the same Incubator who advised the Carissima of Manchukuo in her research. Hideyoshi-san and De Lamarliere-san may have burned her archives to the ground, but those studies are burned into my memory."

The hairless creature then gave a mechanical, albeit cold chuckle as it guessed,

"Even you must realize the value of this knowledge that I hold. Otherwise, you would have killed me months ago. You want to wield this power. You want to defeat the Devil Homura and reunite with your 'Goddess Madoka' after all."

Sayaka paused for a moment and watched the scene of the cloudless blue sky over the calm waters of Tokyo Bay beyond her window. The clear blue skies displeased her, so she ran a hand through her long, blue hair and declared,

"The transfer student has crossed the line herself. She's the reason why we're in this mess in the first place and I'm only doing what needs to be done. If I have to fight fire with fire to take her down, then I don't have a choice, do I?"

**To Be Continued**


	16. The Thunder Sisters

**Prologue**

_June 5, 2088 - Saturday_

A blanket of deep and depthless darkness started to shift in Room 108 of the Hanasou Girls' Dormitory at the break of dawn as the sun rose in the east and cast its light over Mitakihara. The sunlight poured in through the windows and illuminated the room of the plucky pair of Lorelei Sankt and Ligaya de la Cruz as it slowly started to cast that shifting darkness aside.

One by one, the silhouettes of the room's furniture were revealed by the light. The two simple beds, two sturdy desks, two high bookshelves, the formless television screen and the door to the walk-in closet that had come standard with the room appeared first.

Then, the personal effects that Lorelei and Ligaya brought into Room 108 followed. The sunlight illuminated the posters that the two girls had taped to the room's plaster walls, the picture frames that stood atop their desks and the myriads of books and magazines that the girls stuffed into their bookshelves all at once.

Lorelei and Ligaya had brought many personal effects into the room, but all of these were dwarfed by a peculiar 'remodelling' project that the plucky pair had been working on for about two months. It was a simple yet sprawling model train set that ran atop the room's furniture, spanning roughly twenty meters of tracks that ran in the shape of a horseshoe.

The line started on Lorelei's side of the room atop the German girl's bookshelf. There, a petite yet highly detailed model train made up of a vintage steam locomotive, a coal trailer and a luxury passenger car was parked in a turntable platform. The sunlight from the windows reached the train in the platform before long and revealed the train's stark livery of the 19th century  _Preußisch Staatseisenbahnen_. The light also revealed two plastic figures who looked like Lorelei and Ligaya seated comfortably in the luxury passenger car and smiling as they looked out the passenger car's windows.

At the platform, there was a standing mechanical clock that quiety ticked and dutifully told the time. When the clock struck a quarter past six, the turntable hissed with hydraulics and it started to rotate the three-piece Prussian train until it aligned with the standard-gauge tracks. The train's locomotive then came to life with a whir of its small electric motor and propelled the train forward down the tracks.

Thus, the model Prussian train began its journey around Room 108.

Not far past the turntable platform on Lorelei's bookshelf, the Prussian train passed by a replica of the Tiergarten suburb where buildings made of plastic bricks arose alongside cobblestone streets. Plastic figures of people looked out from the windows of those buildings and from the streets as they seemed to happily wave to the Prussian train as it passed their little town by.

The standard-gauge tracks led the train out of town and then started to curve left, bringing it through a peaceful scene of rolling hills made of clay that was crowned with a forest of plastic linden trees. The linden forest stretched from one end of the headboard of Lorelei's bed to the other and grew thicker along the tracks until the Prussian train reached a clearing. There, the abutment of a peculiar rail bridge and its two stone guard towers flying Prussian flags that flanked it appeared. It was the entrance to a plastic model of the Ludendorff Bridge that once ran over the Rhine river.

The model Prussian train passed between the two towers and then carried on through the model Ludendorff Bridge, crossing through its steel-painted trusses as it traveled over the space between Lorelei's bed and Ligaya's. The quintessential German rail bridge and trusses continued for a little over two meters or so until the shape and design of the bridge suddenly changed.

There at the halfway point of the bridge, the trusses of the Ludendorff abruptly ended with a steel arch and was then replaced by the low, neoclassical stone railings of the pre-war Jones Bridge that ran over the Pasig river. The standard-gauge rail tracks of the Ludendorff also transitioned into widened Manila Electric Company  _tranvia_  tram tracks on the Jones Bridge but the Prussian train crossed through without a hitch.

The train, now traveling on  _tranvia_  tracks, continued through the Jones Bridge for another two meters and then passed by bronze statues of women with placards on their pedestals that read ' _Las Madres Filipinas_ ' and continued onto the headboard of Ligaya's bed. Once again, the  _tranvia_  tracks began another gentle leftward bend and then crossed through a new scenery of clay. Grassland plains adorned with a small forest of plastic mahogany trees flanked the  _tranvia_  tracks along the bend until the tracks led to the replica of the idyll town of Taysan, Batangas.

Miniature wooden houses on stilts that were built from shortened toothpicks were scattered around the expanse of the top of Ligaya's bookshelf. Those wooden houses, however, were outnumbered by model rice paddies made of blue, water-like resin where the plastic figures of farmers were working the fields. Still, the plastic farmers were all turned towards the tracks and greeted the visiting Prussian train with their bright, painted smiles.

Finally, the Prussian train reached the end of the line - another turntable platform in the Taysan station. The train slowed down on its approach until it came to a halt on the turntable tracks. Another standing clock like the one in the Tiergarten station stood guard there as well and dutifully told the time like its sister from across the room. When that clock struck half past six, the train sounded a loud horn that echoed throughout Room 108.

The train sounded its horn twelve times as the Taysan turntable rotated to allign it again with the  _tranvia_  tracks leading back into town for a return trip. Before the tracks could allign, however, the hand of a giant appeared above the Taysan station and plucked the Prussian train from the tracks. The model train and its two plastic passengers then found themselves face-to-face with the bright-eyed giant who picked them up - Ligaya de la Cruz.

The Filipina smiled at the Prussian train and then flipped a switch beneath the locomotive to turn off its electric motor. Ligaya then cradled the train in her arms and then let herself drop down onto her bed rear-first. She bounced off her bed once and then landed sitting down at the edge with her feet touching the floor of Room 108.

Still holding the train in her arms, Ligaya faced the bed of her roommate Lorelei and gladly cheered,

"Lorelei! Lorelei, look! The train! The whole set! All of it worked~!"

The pearly white blanket covering Lorelei Sankt's bed shifted groggily for a while in response. A head of unkempt, curly golden hair poked out from behind the cloth but the rest of the German girl stayed hidden beneath the blanket. The half-awake Lorelei then spoke in a muffled moan,

" _Naturalisch_ , Ligaya. The set has an internal timer, after all. The train will run on time and on schedule all the time by design."

Lorelei then retreated back into her blanket as she tried to hide from the sound of the hydraulic hisses of the Taysan and the Tiergarten turntables. The German girl then muttered ruefully from beneath her blanket,

"Now… our next job is… to get it to only run on weekdays,  _ja_?"

"Ehehe~ that's true. But still! I can't wait to show this to Michi and Elise! We told them we were going to build a train set, but we never told them what kind of set it was - or how big we were going to build it!"

The Filipina stood up then placed the train back on the Taysan turntable. She then twisted the standing clock on the Taysan station like a key and turned off the power of the entire set in one fell swoop. Ligaya then turned around again and playfully said,

"Ah! I can already imagine their reactions! Elise is gonna fold her arms stiffly like this and then she'll say in that stern voice of hers something like... ' _hmm… that is commendable. The attention to detail is superb._ '"

When Ligaya said this, she heard her roommate suddenly chuckle beneath her blanket. A crafty smirk formed on the Filipina's lips and she mischievously rubbed her hands together as she kept up impromptu skit,

"After that, Michi will be delighted and she'd smile pleasantly like this and be like ' _the two of you really are the Thunder Sisters!_ '"

Lorelei burst into laughter when she heard this and she finally crawled out of her blanket. The German girl wiped the happy tears that had formed in her eyes and she tried to catch her breath while saying,

" _Scheise!_  That sounds like something that those two would do!"

Lorelei then heaved a sigh and got up on her feet as she said,

"That aside, it looks like your accents are getting better, Ligaya! You can imitate voices in Japanese now too - I'm impressed!"

Ligaya bashfully scratched the back of her head as she basked in her roommate's praise for a while before she pointed to her bookshelf. There, nestled between her volumes of Popular Mechanics, sat a large, olive green clearbook that the Filipina pointed to and said

"The Broadcasting Club prepared a lot of skits for us to record in that clearbook over there. I gave some of them a try already so I got quite a of practice in. But I have to say… they prepared a whole lot of skits!"

Lorelei heaved a sigh as she paced around the room,

"I know what you mean. We haven't been in the club long, but we're already getting swamped with all this work."

The German then checked her WristComm device and brought up a formless screen displaying their calendar. She swiped through their schedule for the day with a curious hum as she said,

"We've also got a recording session with the club later today too. We've got the AV equipment in the clubroom all to ourselves so… that can only mean more work."

"Wait a second…!" Ligaya suddenly gasped, "The recording session's today?"

Lorelei nodded then showed Ligaya her WristComm's screen,

" _Ja_ , it's today. See? Saturday - June 5 at four in the afternoon."

"But Lorelei… today's also our first meeting with the student council, right? That big expanded council meeting the other class reps were talking about last time?"

Lorelei's heart skipped a beat and she scrolled back to their morning schedule in a rush. She clicked her tongue and cursed,

" _Scheise!_  That's right… I totally forgot about the council meeting! It's happening in the morning."

"Ehehe~ good thing we've got each other covered!"

The German girl then eyed the model locomotive stopped at the Taysan turntable platform and smiled,

" _Ja_ , and I guess that means it's a good thing our little train woke us up early today too. We're in for the long haul, after all!  _Danke, kleiner Zug!_ "

The Filipina girl then put her hands on her hips as she said,

"Alright then! Let's go have breakfast! We gotta eat as much as we can to get us through today. If we're lucky, we might even catch Michi and Elise at the kitchen too! So with that said..."

Ligaya then wore a crafty smirk for the German girl and asked,

"Wanna race to the kitchen?"

Lorelei raised her brow confidently as she said with amusement,

" _Ohohohoho_ , but it's not a race if I'm sure that I'm going to win,  _ja_?"

"Keep dreaming, Lorelei! It's on!"

At their marks, the two girls rushed to get changed and prepare themselves for the long day ahead. The plucky pair put on casual clothes but also wore their school bags over their shoulders. They stuffed their bags with their class representative notebooks and their Broadcasting Club clearbooks and then faced off against each other at the middle of the room.

Lorelei put a puffy, white cloth cap over her golden hair while Ligaya combed her thick black hair back and put on her favorite floral headband. All the while, the two roommates stared each other down like they were in an old Western film.

The two girls opened the door of their room, grinned again at each other and then burst out down the hall as quickly as their feet would take them. Without a care in the world, the two girls raced down the halls of the  _Hanasou_  like twin streaks of thunder in an early summer storm.

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**The Thunder Sisters**

* * *

**Fiftieth Act - Convenient Truths**

Michi and Elise were seated at their usual table in the common kitchen of the Hanasou dorm when they so-called Thunder Sisters appear without the usual spring in their step. Lorelei and Ligaya greeted them good morning as usual, but the two of them looked as if they had been robbed of their lightning. The German girl and the Filipina sheepishly joined Michi and Elise at the table and then laid down the demerit slips that the dorm prefect had just slapped them with just moments ago.

The Filipina gave a self-deprecating laugh as she said,

"Ahehehe~ we totally forgot about the 'no running in the halls rule' there!"

The French girl tilted her head with confusion and curiously asked,

"Why in the world were the two of you running down the halls in the first place?"

Lorelei and Ligaya leaned forward into the table and answered at the same time,

"We were having a race and I was winning!"

Lorelei and Ligaya quickly butted heads again and sparks flew between them as they caused yet another commotion in the common kitchen.

Beads of sweat were starting to form on Michi's brow as the Hokkaido native stressed out on whether or not she should intervene to calm the two down. Elise, on the other hand, just calmly sipped on her coffee and waited for things to blow over. The two of them, however, wondered if Lorelei and Ligaya had already forgotten about their fresh demerit slips lying on the table.

After a spell of chest-thumping and posturing, Lorelei and Ligaya were arm-in-arm again and were back to their usual chummy vibe as if nothing had happened. The German and the Filipina truly were forces of nature, Elise thought, and that seemed to be true in more ways than one.

When the plucky pair finally calmed down, Lorelei brightened up as if she had just remembered something she had been meaning to do. The German girl adjusted her cloth cap and then grinned at Michi and Elise with pride as she said,

"By the way - there's something that Ligaya and I wanted to show you two. It's something that we've been working on for a while now."

Lorelei happily hummed a tune as she brought out her WristComm device and started browsing through its contents. She bundled a dozen pictures into a formless screen and then pushed the screen towards their friends across the table.

Elise's device caught the flying screen then displayed all twelve pictures for her. Michi huddled closer to the French girl and the two of them started looking through the pictures together. As they did, however, the German girl then placed her hands together as she said,

"We were thinking of just sending these to you by email, but Ligaya and I kinda wanted to hear your thoughts about it straight from you guys. We also kinda wanted to see your reactions with our own eyes."

A wanton snicker then escaped Lorelei's lips as she added,

"And I have to say - I kinda like what I'm seeing! How nice~!"

Elise quickly turned to Lorelei and leered at her with suspicion, but Michi didn't seem to notice and she just kept swiping through the photos. Lorelei awkwardly waved to Elise, urging her to not mind her and to just carry on. The French girl obliged before long and Lorelei heaved a sigh of relief.

Thus, Lorelei and Ligaya sat as still and as well-behaved as they could be as Michi and Elise browsed. The plucky pair was tempted to joke about their friends again for a while, but they were puzzled instead by their friends' sudden silence. Did Michi and Elise see something strange? Was there something missing from the set? Lorelei and Ligaya were left to stew in their anticipation for the time being.

After a little while longer, Elise folded her arms and closed her eyes as she imagined the scenes of the pictures in her mind. She then opened her eyes and turned to Lorelei and Ligaya as she said,

" _C'est tres bon_ , you two. The handiwork is commendable and the attention to detail is superb."

Michi followed suit and wore a tender smile as she praised,

"I agree with Elise - this is amazing work! The two of you truly are the Thunder Sisters!"

Lorelei and Ligaya brightened up as soon as they heard this and the two girls joined hands as they cheered,

"Yeah! They liked it!"

Michi and Elise turned to each other and chuckled, amused by how happy their praise made Lorelei and Ligaya. The French girl's smile then mellowed down as she brought up a picture of the two-faced bridge, turned it around towards its architects and then asked,

"I am actually curious about this bridge of yours. The part on Ligaya's half of the room is the Jones Bridge and the part on Lorelei's side is the Ludendorff Bridge, isn't it? What made the two of you want to build it like this?"

Lorelei beamed as soon as she heard the question and then happily explained,

"My family's company did work on the Ludendorff Bridge while Ligaya told me that her ancestors helped built the Jones Bridge. Those two bridges both have sentimental value to us, but we couldn't quite decide on which one to use."

The Filipina nodded in agreement and then continued,

"So Lorelei and I compromised and put both of our bridges together! That way, we get the best of both worlds - and it looks pretty neat to boot! The bridge links our hometowns together too so it's pretty symbolic."

With that, Lorelei and Ligaya started talking about their hometowns and even introduced their families to their friends across the table. Little did Lorelei and Ligaya know that Michi and Elise were already familiar with their hometowns and even their families. As a matter of fact, Michi and Elise knew their stories so well that it didn't take them long to know that the stories they were hearing at the breakfast table were no longer the same from what they heard in the Silver Garden.

There were subtle differences that had been written into the stories of the German and the Filipina - changes in the dates and the circumstances - but their stories still remained oddly unchanged. They were the convenient truths that were crafted for them to fill the gaps of their memories and to keep them from questioning their situations.

Michi and Elise both had similar changes written into their own stories, but the Hokkaido native and the French girl had long since awakened from those comfortable lies. The two of them were rudely awakened from their false, albeit pleasant slumber when they remembered where they came from and why they really were in Mitakihara.

Lorelei and Ligaya, on the other hand, were still fast asleep and willingly believed every word of their revised stories. Those convenient truths that were made for them gave them an illusion of joy that they believed and embraced with every fiber of their being. That illusion allowed the two of them to continue living their lives as normal girls and neither Michi nor Elise could get themselves to take that illusion away. Instead, Michi and Elise simply listened to their friends' stories and took note of the their altered tales.

Ligaya talked about her father - Nicanor de la Cruz - and his supposed promotion to  _2nd Lieutenant_  in the Philippine Air Force. He was supposedly just transferred to the San Fernando Airbase in their home province of Batangas. Neither the Philippine Air Force nor the San Fernando Airbase existed, however, when the father died in 1942 during the infamous Bataan Death March.

On the other hand, Lorelei sang praises about her three brothers who were supposedly doing humanitarian work in the Suez region of Egypt. That was the same region, however, where the three of them died in 1915 as officers of the German Empire advising Ottoman Empire troops in a hopeless campaign.

When Lorelei and Ligaya had exhausted their pool of stories, Elise smiled at the two of them and asked,

"May I keep copies of these photos?"

Lorelei happily nodded,

"Sure! Why not? What are you going to use them for, though - if I may ask?"

Elise folded her arms and said,

"I think I'm going to start a new painting soon, so I'm just looking for inspiration."

"Ah - then, by all means!"

Michi then turned to Lorelei and Ligaya as well as she politely asked,

"Also - later tonight, do you mind showing us the train set itself? Elise and I would like to see the set ourselves."

Lorelei and Ligaya turned towards each other and held each other's hands with delight. The two of them then faced Michi and beamed,

"We'd love to!"

With that, the four girls returned their attention to breakfast and they ate their meals together. Michi and Elise continued to play their parts as normal students and wore practiced smiles on their faces for the sake of the German girl and the Filipina.

After all, in Michi's and Elise's eyes, Lorelei and Ligaya were smiling so brightly even while they lived their lives half-asleep.

* * *

**Fifty-first Act - While The Cat Is Away**

After breakfast, Lorelei and Ligaya parted way with their two friends at the Kagami tree-lined path. The German girl and the Filipina headed north towards the school while the Hokkaido native and the French girl went south. Looking around them, Lorelei and Ligaya saw that there were hardly any other people besides them on the path.

Thus, Lorelei and Ligaya sauntered through the serene path and took in the sights and sounds that they missed during the weekday rush to the school. For once, the two girls got to listen to the chirping of the birds, the murmur of the canal that ran alongside the path and the rustling of the trees in the gentle wind.

Still, the plucky pair climbed up the steps going up the small hill of the Mitakihara Junior High School with a purposeful pace. As much as they would have liked to enjoy the rare serenity of the weekend, the two girls had responsibilities to attend to.

Their first stop for the day was the main hall of the school's auxiliary building where the expanded student council meeting was going to take place. Lorelei and Ligaya were the President and Vice President representatives of the freshman Class 1-2, so that was going to be their first ever meeting with the student council. Neither Lorelei nor Ligaya knew what to expect, but the two of them were excited by the idea of a challenge.

So, the two of them marched on towards the hall like gladiators entering their arena.

When the girls reached the front doors of the auxiliary building, they saw the dozen or so members of the student council running to and fro as they prepared the venue and took attendance for the large meeting. Meanwhile, Lorelei's and Ligaya's fellow class representatives outnumbered the student council tenfold and patiently lined up outside the hall.

Just as Lorelei and Ligaya were about to join the line, they heard a commotion brewing from within the auxiliary building hall. The Secretary of the Student Council then burst out of the hall and faced the class representatives lined up outside as she made an announcement,

"Everyone, please listen to me! President Noe Ogasawara will not be able to attend today's expanded student council meeting. As Secretary of the Student Council, I will preside over today's session in her stead. The meeting will proceed as usual - thank you for your cooperation."

The Secretary stormed back into the hall and the class representatives quickly started whispering amongst themselves. Lorelei and Ligaya meanwhile tilted their heads with curiosity. The Filipina then turned to the German and asked in a whisper,

"Why's the Secretary making such a big deal out of Ogasawara-senpai not being here? She's the Secretary, so she was going to have to replace Ogasawara-senpai at times like these, right?"

Lorelei thoughtfully hummed as she watched the troubled student council members and said,

"I guess it is kinda strange for Ogasawara-senpai to not be here. It's the first expanded meeting of the year after all. I also heard from the other reps that Ogasawara hasn't missed a single student council meeting since her freshman days and that she wouldn't' miss them for the world."

Ligaya then stuck out her tongue and joked,

"Maybe Ogasawara-senpai's dealing with something out of this world then!"

Lorelei cackled as she imagined a poorly-drawn Ogasawara floating around through the night sky. The German girl playfully elbowed her partner and said,

"Yeah right!"

While the two girls were joking around, they heard the sound of footsteps coming up from behind them. Lorelei and Ligaya turned to look and they saw the genteel figure of Hitomi Shizuki walking towards them with her refined, ballroom-like gait and her gracefully balanced posture. The air of culture that the teal-haired sophomore emanated was so strong that Ligaya started feeling conscious about her cheap clothes and her natural slouch.

Lorelei, on the other hand, didn't seem to be so affected by the refined presence and she fearlessly greeted the teal-haired sophomore with a smile,

"Good morning, Shizuki-senpai! That's a wonderful blouse and skirt you're wearing - everything about it says breezy summertime!"

Hitomi returned the smile and said,

"Good morning to you too, Sankt-san - and thank you for the kind words! The Mirai 812's seasonal catalogue where I got this from is actually called 'breezy summertime'."

"Really now? I was wondering why that blouse looked so familiar!"

The teal-haired girl then placed her hands together as she said,

"The cloth cap that you're wearing is also part of this year's catalogue too - and so is the rest of your outfit! You're quite the fashionista yourself, Sankt-san."

"Ehehehe,  _danke schon_."

The teal-haired girl then turned to Ligaya and said,

"Good morning to you as well, De la Cruz-san. The headband you're wearing today's pretty and it goes well with that fine bracelet you're wearing!"

"T-thanks Shizuki-senpai… but my clothes aren't exactly designer brand stuff like yours and Lorelei's."

Hitomi put a hand on her hip then wore a reassuring smile for Ligaya,

"Really now? I wouldn't have known! Your clothes match and you know how to use your accessories well! You know how to make yourself look good and that's what matters in the first place - so chin up, okay?"

Ligaya's eyes brightened up when she heard this and she then happily replied with an eager nod. Lorelei smiled as she watched the exchange thinking,

'Shizuki-senpai really has a way with words, huh?'

The teal-haired sophomore then turned to Lorelei and Ligaya and said with a bright tone,

"In any case, this is going to be our first expanded student council meeting together so I look forward to working with the two of you."

Lorelei and Ligaya eagerly nodded in reply and the three of them lined up together with the other class representatives as the trickled into the main hall. Lorelei, Ligaya and Hitomi let the student council members scan their WristComm devices on the way in and the three of them sat together at the front row of the hall to wait for the session to get underway.

From where the three of them sat, however, they saw the Secretary of the Student Council fiddling with her WristComm while she was pacing around in the corner of the room. The other student council members were also stealing glances at their Secretary, waiting for her to give them instructions. All the while, a silent tension hung about in the hall as the class representatives started to notice the stiffness of the air.

Moments later, the Secretary's WristComm finally buzzed and she received what appeared to be a long text message. The Secretary quickly browsed through the text message and then finally brought herself to face the class representatives as she cleared her throat and convened the expanded meeting.

The Secretary started off the meeting talking about the upcoming Sports Day, but many of the class representatives kept whispering amongst themselves as if the Secretary wasn't there. When the Secretary tried to call everyone's attention, some of the more senior class representatives started to filibuster the session and sparked dozens of vociferous debates to break out all at once.

This wasn't the kind of scene that Lorelei and Ligaya imagined when they were lining up to enter the hall. The two of them knew that not everyone would have been on the same page, but the two of them thought that things would have been much more civil and diplomatic than the shouting contest erupting around them. What they saw was a house divided that the Secretary and the rest of the Student Council couldn't seem to get into order.

Hitomi and thoughtfully folded her arms and turned to the two freshmen beside her as she said,

"The meetings are usually much more subdued than this mess right now. Whenever Ogasawara-senpai is in the session, everyone got in line and kept their thoughts to themselves. Every time that Ogasawara-senpai had to leave early on urgent business - something that happened often even before - the dissidents finally started to speak a little bit. Now that Ogasawara-senpai didn't attend at all, those dissidents are going wild. They can do whatever they want, after all, and the poor Secretary here has no power to stop them."

Frowns formed on Lorelei's and Ligaya's lips as the debates raging around them spread like wildfire. The German girl's brow furrowed as she ruefully noted,

"Nothing's going to get done at this point. Sports Day is a pretty big deal for everyone here at the school and we don't exactly have a lot of time left to prepare. If we botch things now, that festival's going to be a disaster."

Ligaya felt her heart racing as she said,

"That's terrible, Lorelei… isn't there something we can do?"

The German girl and the Filipina then turned to Hitomi and the teal-haired girl wore a calm smile for them as she said,

"We can still get  _something_  done - don't worry. Everyone here in this room wants Sports Day to be a success - they just have different ways of going about it. The problem here is that everybody wants to talk but nobody wants to  _listen_  to anyone. This house can only be united if someone listens to what everyone has to say and actually takes it to heart - only then would this mess start to make sense to anyone. Since Ogasawara-senpai isn't here and since Ms. Secretary here is having a hard time, then maybe the three of us can be that 'someone' instead."

Lorelei and Ligaya were amazed by the sophomore's confident words and their fear of the shouting contest around them started to taper off. The points that everyone in the room made a little bit more sense to them, just like Hitomi said. Thus, the German and the Filipina turned to each other and nodded with determination. Lorelei then faced Hitomi and said,

"Shizuki-senpai. Ligaya and I don't want our first council meeting to be the one that derails our school's Sports Day. We don't want it to end like this, so tell us what you need us to do."

The teal-haired girl nodded thankfully and then brought out a notebook from her bag and said,

"Alright then Sankt-san, De la Cruz-san. Please follow my lead and we'll get through this."

* * *

**First Interlude**

While the chaotic, albeit spirited debates for the fate of the school's Sports Day festivities dragged on in the auxiliary building, a tense silence hung about in the main building across the school courtyard in a stark contrast. There in the main building, the handsful of students who had failed to pass their midterm exams were taking make-up exams together in the Second Year Wing.

Sayaka Miki was among those students and the blue-haired girl was writing a make-up exam for History in her own classroom of Class 2-1. Nineteen other sophomores from her class and the others were in that room with her as well and they all were keenly focused on answering their make-ups.

Sayaka, on the other hand, couldn't seem to care less as she had a bored expression about her instead. The saber-fighter glossed over the multiple choice questions and played with a lock of her long blue hair adorned with her fortissimo pin. She let her thumb rub against her hairpin and clicked her tongue.

It was too quiet there, Sayaka thought. There were much better things she could be doing with her time. That was the day that she was going to finally try to awaken the Witch of Elise de Lamarliere after all, so Sayaka didn't want to be sitting still. The former Exemplar, however, had no choice as the time crawled excruciatingly slow.

So, Sayaka stole glances at the exam proctor - Kazuko Saotome - hoping that she would start accepting early papers soon. After all, she didn't know just how many of the other exam-takers in the room were Clara Dolls or spies that Homura Akemi planted there to keep an eye on her. The very thought of being watched by Homura made Sayaka's blood boil, so she looked around her for even the slightest sign of allegiance to the devil. She looked for any purple accessory or anything bearing the symbol of the Nutcracker Witch.

There were none, but Sayaka refused to lower her guard.

When the blue-haired girl tried to look at her classmates a second time, however, her eyes met with the eyes of her classmate Nakazawa. The boy looked back at Sayaka with suspicion, so the blue-haired girl felt her silver ring with her thumb. She prepared herself to summon a saber at the drop of a hat and her own shadow shifted behind her like a coiled spring.

The boy, however, covered his paper and then mouthed out to Sayaka,

" _No cheating, idiot!_ "

Nakazawa quickly returned his attention to his test and shook his head in disapproval. An awestruck Sayaka felt a bead of sweat forming at the back of her head and she heaved a sigh. At least she knew for sure that Nakazawa wasn't a Clara Doll.

Still, Sayaka wondered why Nakazawa - Hitomi's Vice President representative for Class 2-1 - was stuck there with her and writing make-up exams. In the corner of her eye, Sayaka could see their teacher Saotome fretting about Nakazawa as well. She was the homeroom teacher of Class 2-1 after all, so it was only natural.

After a few minutes had passed, Saotome finally called everyone's attention and started accepting early submissions. Sayaka promptly rose up from her chair without a second thought and then marched to the teacher with her papers in hand.

Saotome tilted her head at first, surprised that anyone taking a make-up exam would actually submit their exams that early. The teacher placed her hands together and then gently reminded,

"Ah… Miki-san, you still have some time left you know. You can still check your answers and see if you want to change any of them."

Sayaka shrugged in reply and passed the papers onto the teacher's hands as she said,

"I've already done my best with this, sensei. I don't think reviewing it anymore will make me change my mind at this point. I'm also pretty confident with my answers this time, so please take it."

Saotome's surprise turned into a concerned frown as she wondered what Sayaka was going on about. She also wondered if her blue-haired student was going through troubled times. After all, Saotome's other delinquent student - Kyouko Sakura - passed her exams by a decent margin.

Still, the teacher had no choice but to take her student's papers. Saotome then watched Sayaka saunter out of the classroom and then run a hand through her hair as she walked out the door. From where she stood, Sayaka gave off an air that reminded her of another one of her students - Homura Akemi.

The teacher then managed to hobble together a shaky smile and bid Sayaka farewell, but the blue-haired student had already long since gone.

Sayaka walked through the halls of the Second Year Wing with brisk and purposeful steps as she walked away from the classroom without looking back. She headed over to the second floor landing of the spiral staircase of the main building where Esperanza Salita was eagerly waiting for her. The Filipina former deputy was carrying Sayaka's school bag over her shoulder and she beamed at Sayaka as she approached,

"Good afternoon, Exemplar Miki. I hope your exam went well!"

Sayaka heaved a sigh as she looked back to the classroom behind her and said,

"I hardly remember what the exam questions were anymore, Esperanza-chan. It was a waste of time, to be honest - especially when we've got more pressing matters to attend to."

"Why didn't you just not take the exam then, Exemplar Miki?"

"Well, I still need to have my cover as a student here at this school. If I failed that exam again, then I'd be put on probation and I'm just giving the devil an excuse to have surveillance on me 24/7."

Sayaka clicked her tongue when she thought about that and then promptly changed the subject,

"Anyways - were you already able to case out the Minato-ku Gallery?"

Esperanza nodded and said,

"The preparations there are complete and the paper charms worked without a hitch. I got in and out of the building without a problem. I did make some notes on the security detail as well - there seemed to be more guards posted there than yesterday."

"That's because the  _House of Mirrors_  exhibit and a lot of other sections are opening today, so the Gallery expects some bigwigs and celebrities to drop by. Everyone in the Gallery will be distracted, so it'll be the perfect time to perform Elise's Awakening ritual."

Sayaka then extended her hand towards Esperanza and asked,

"Speaking of the ritual - did you bring what I asked you to prepare already?"

Esperanza nodded and then handed the school bag back to Sayaka as she said,

"The paper charms are in the bag along with my notebook on the security. I only managed to make five hundred charms, but they're all strung up like you asked."

"Were you able to enchant them?"

Esperanza shook her head and frowned,

"It's really impossible for us, Exemplar Miki. We tried as hard as we could, but we couldn't enchant them with anything. My team and I really don't have our magic anymore - we never asked the Goddess Madoka to restore it after all."

Sayaka snorted with disappointment but then gave Esperanza a reassuring wave,

"That's alright - I'll enchant them on the way to the gallery. I'll also figure out a way for you guys to enchant them on your own, so don't worry!"

"That would be great, Exemplar Miki. The girls and I want to help you as best as we can."

Sayaka then wore a small smile as she laid a hand on Esperanza's shoulder,

"The twelve of you have already done a lot for me, Esperanza-chan. I hate to admit it, but you and your team know Lorelei and Ligaya - any maybe even the other Archangels too - better than I ever did. I was Madoka's Exemplar so the Archangels reported to me, but I never really got to know them or get close to them like you guys did."

As Sayaka was speaking, she felt and then heard the distinct slosh of liquid in a bottle coming from inside her bag. Sayaka curiously dug her hand into the bag and then fished out a cool bottle of raspberry cordial fresh from the vending machines. When Sayaka turned to Esperanza for an explanation, the former deputy was already beaming at her,

"I bought that one for you while I was waiting. That's the stuff you've been drinking lately, isn't it?"

"Heh - you sure know how to make friends, Esperanza-chan. Thanks for this."

"It's the least I could do for you, Exemplar Miki - so think of it as a gift from my team. You look like you've been stressing out a lot lately after all, so we wanted to do something for you."

"I appreciate the thought, Esperanza-chan, but anyone would be stressed out in our situation. A single mistake of ours can cause the Third World War and our little 'alliance' with Eri-chan and Nagisa-chan isn't exactly solid just yet. They say they're going to help us, but they're not fully on board. Then there's also…"

Sayaka paused for a moment and Esperanza tilted her head with curiosity. The former deputy then asked,

"And then there's what…?"

Sayaka looked out through the school building's glass walls and up to the early afternoon sky as she said,

"Never mind that, Esperanza. Come and walk with me for now - I need to hear your sitrep for the situation  _here_  with Lorelei and Ligaya."

Esperanza dutifully nodded and the two of them started to walk down the spiral staircase together. Sayaka popped open the bottle of raspberry cordial and then took a big gulp as Esperanza adjusted her fake glasses and began her report,

"My team has been watching over Ate Ligaya and Ate Lorelei while I was casing out the gallery. The 'Thunder Sisters' are attending the expanded student as we speak. One of my team members said that they were seated next to Hitomi Shizuki. She also said that the Student Council President - Noe Ogasawara - didn't attend. The Secretary is the presiding officer instead."

Sayaka snickered and took another sip as she said,

"That slandering Ogasawara's absent? That's now."

"From what I've heard, Exemplar Miki, Ogasawara-senpai backed out just minutes before the meeting. It caused quite a bit of a stir."

"Hmph… then all's not well in the devil's garden. But what about Mi-chan and the transfer student? Any news about them?"

"Neither of them went to school, so we don't know where they are."

Sayaka thoughtfully rubbed her chin with her free hand as she said,

"That must mean that Ogasawara, the transfer student and Mi-chan are up to something. They must be making some sort of move… but against what? We've covered our tracks well all this time, so what are they after?"

"I wish I could tell you, Exemplar Miki, but twelve girls who've given up their magic can only be at so many places at one time."

Sayaka's grip on her bottle tightened as she started to speak with frustration,

"It can't be helped, Esperanza-chan. Homura Akemi murdered everyone else, after all - so we're going to make her pay for it. Once we awaken everyone's Witches and bring them all to our side, the transfer student will have another thing coming."

Sayaka finished up her bottle of cordial and then turned to Esperanza with an urgent tone,

"I want you to keep an eye on the council meeting and watch over Lorelei and Ligaya. When the meeting's about to end, switch out with your teammates and come straight to the Minato-ku gallery to check up on us. We don't know what might happen with the ritual, and we don't know if the devil is planning to crash the party. Either way - you might need to be ready to defend yourself."

Esperanza then lifted up the side of her long blouse and then showed Sayaka the Webley revolver that she had holstered at her hip. The former the deputy then adjusted the fake glasses that she wore and said,

"The girls and I have been prepared to fight the devil since the day you woke us up, Exemplar Miki. Captain Anne Marie is protecting us from beyond the grave, so she'll protect Ate Lorelei and Ate Ligaya with us."

"That's the spirit, Esperanza! Hopefully, at the end of it all, Ai-chan and Ri-chan will join the fight on our side and we'll all fight the devil together."

Esperanza replied with an eager nod and laid a hand on her chest as she said,

"I'll look forward to that day, Exemplar Miki. The Goddess Madoka's will be done."

* * *

**Fifty-second Act - Welcome To The Broadcasting Club!**

It was half past two in the afternoon by the time that the chaos of the expanded student council meeting finally came to a close. Sighs of relief echoed from across the room as Lorelei and Ligaya, together with Hitomi and the other class representatives emerged from the main hall of the auxiliary building. Thanks to the efforts of Hitomi, Lorelei and Ligaya, the expanded council meeting ended with a decision for their Sports Day preparations.

Still, that lone decision was the only positive thing that came out of the meeting and the discouraged Lorelei and Ligaya hung their heads low. Hitomi then laid her hands on their shoulders and smiled at her two proteges and said,

"Don't look so glum - expanded council meetings usually go like that. It's a slow, frustrating crawl but at least we got  _something_  done. Our Sports Day festivities will go off without a hitch now!"

The teal-haired girl then showed the two her notebook and said,

"Plus with the notes we got today, we know where everyone stands. We know what they want. We know what they're worried about. We'll get much, much more done in the next meeting - I assure you. Study your notes today - make a difference tomorrow!"

Lorelei and Ligaya looked at their own notebooks and then smiled back at Hitomi. The teal haired girl then bid farewell to the two of them, leaving Lorelei and Ligaya alone in the school courtyard. As the two of them watched Hitomi heading home, Ligaya turned to Lorelei and said,

"Shizuki-senpai's pretty cool, huh? She's got it all planned out. When the next meeting comes, she's going to swoop in and unite everybody like a hero."

Lorelei folded her arms and then nodded in agreement as she said,

" _Frau_  Shizuki is a seasoned stateswoman - she knows what she's talking about when it comes to those kinds of things. Everything started stacking up when she got her plan in motion - it was kinda amazing to watch!"

" _Haaaah~_  it really was, wasn't it? The way things got into order was pretty cool!"

The Filipina then lowered her notebook down to her stomach and said,

"Speaking of orders… I really could use an order of food right now. Anything will do. That meeting lasted longer than we thought."

Lorelei quickly pouted at Ligaya and lowered her notebook to her stomach as well as she said,

" _Scheise_  - now you reminded me I was hungry too."

The German girl pulled her head back as she wistfully moaned,

"Haaaah, I want a roast beef sandwich… with lots of mustard."

Ligaya pulled her head back as well and added,

"Should we go home to the  _Hanasou_  first and get lunch?"

"... yeah, that sounds like a good idea. We've got some time before the Broadcasting Club meeting and…"

As Lorelei was speaking, however, members of the Broadcasting Club suddenly appeared before her and Ligaya. The German girl and the Filipina were pulled back from their culinary fantasies and dazedly watched their clubmates assembled before them. Was this a flash mob or something? Was somebody recording all this on camera?

Eleven of the twelve Broadcasting Club members were gathered there at the halls of the auxiliary building, standing between Lorelei and Ligaya and the exit. All eleven of them, however, seemed to be lost - not exactly sure what they were going to do after mobbing Lorelei and Ligaya. The Vice President of the Broadcasting Club in particular, a tall, freshman, Chinese-Filipina named Yolanda Ang, was especially lost as she suddenly found herself having to lead her puzzled team.

Yolanda placed her hands together to break the awkward silence and spoke in broken Japanese, peppered with Filipino Hokkien tics,

"Ahahaha,  _a tsi_  Ligaya,  _a tsi_  Lorelei - f-fancy seeing here two of you!"

A bead of sweat formed on the back of Lorelei's head. Even the dense Ligaya was confused by Yolanda's obvious act. Still, the German girl humored her with a kind smile and said,

"Likewise,  _Frau_  Ang. What brings you all here to the auxiliary building? The meeting is still at four,  _ja_?"

"Oh, about that!  _A tsi_  Esperanza said change plans. She said, pick up you two!"

A frown formed on Ligaya's lips as she tried to negotiate in Filipino,

" _Yolanda naman… gutom na kami - kanina pa! Kakain muna kami t'as babalik pagkatapos, okey_?"

Yolanda's face grew pale as she turned towards her teammates, hoping that one of them would bail her out of the sticky situation but to no avail. The Vice President scratched the back of her head and laughed uncomfortably as she tried to make up an excuse on the fly,

" _A tsi Ligaya, wag na kayo kain sa labas. Kain sa labas laki gastos! Sayang pera! Kain dito na lang! May dala kami pagkain - dala ni a tsi Esperanza!_ "

Lorelei leaned towards Ligaya and asked,

"So… what did she say?"

"She says Esperanza… brought food for us and that we should eat here instead."

Lorelei hummed with intrigue and asked,

"Did she now? That's a pleasant surprise."

The Vice President's jaw quickly dropped as she realized the lie that she told. She opened her mouth, hoping to retract her story but she doubled down in her broken Japanese again instead,

"Yes! Fiesta in clubroom! President Esperanza bring many food! Big surprise! For you two! Welcome party for Thunder Sisters!"

Lorelei and Ligaya turned to each other with discomfort. The two of them were indeed surprised, but they had a feeling that the other members of the Broadcasting Club were more surprised than them. In the corners of their eyes, Lorelei and Ligaya could see Yolanda sweating profusely as she stood as stiff as a Binondo mango tree while the others were whispering amongst themselves,

"This wasn't part of the plan!"

"We don't even have a budget for food!"

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

Lorelei and Ligaya sighed and they decided to play along. Ligaya mustered a smile this time as she said,

"Well, thanks for that. We'd be happy to join you guys for a late lunch. We… actually haven't eaten anything since breakfast."

Lorelei nodded as spiritedly as she could, but it was hard for them to be surprised about a surprise that they already knew about. Still, Yolanda's eyes brightened up and her stance finally loosened. She then gave Lorelei and Ligaya three low and thankful bows as she said,

"Okay! Okay! Then come with us! We have many food in clubroom for you!"

Thus, Lorelei and Ligaya let Yolanda and the others lead them to the clubroom. They went towards the spiral staircase of the auxiliary building and climbed it up all the way to the third floor. However, it was easy for Lorelei and Ligaya to see that Yolanda and the others were dragging their feet - almost as if they were trying to buy some time.

Ligaya tried to tell Yolanda not to worry about them so much, but the Vice President insisted to leave everything to them. With every step they took up the staircase, however, the roots of Yolanda's panic grew deeper and deeper. She was fiddling with her WristComm, sending messages that written were Filipino at first, then Filipino Hokkien then full-blown Cantonese.

By the time they reached the third floor landing, Lorelei and Ligaya saw that Yolanda was back to her stiff and frightened self. The Vice President was also mumbling to herself in Hokkien. Ligaya couldn't make out much from Yolanda's thick Binondo accent, but she understood enough to know that she already was thinking of ways to save face.

The thirteen-girl entourage then reached the doors of the clubroom - the Audio Visual room beside the Principal's Office - and Vice President Yolanda took a deep breath. She laid a hand on the doorknob and opened the door with excruciating sloth. Lorelei and Ligaya blinked with disbelief as Yolanda dragged her feet even there, but they both patiently held their tongues.

When Yolanda finally opened the door, the girls all found the club President Esperanza Salita already there. She was setting up paper plates and had an assortment of sandwiches laid out beautifully on trays like a professional caterer would. Esperanza nonchalantly adjusted her fake glasses then gave the girls a peace sign as she said,

"Sup guys?"

The Vice President quickly teared up and her eyes shimmered with delight as a wave of relief swept over her. Then, at a drop of a hat, Yolanda broke rank and charged towards Esperanza with absolute joy. She caught Esperanza in a tight embrace, nearly dislodging the fake glasses from the bridge of Esperanza's nose, as she cried,

" _A tsi! A tsi! Xie tian xie di!_  I almost say full novena in shame, but you here on time!"

Esperanza gently patted Yolanda's shoulder as she said,

"There, there now Yolanda. Come on now - no need to get so emotional! They're just sandwiches."

"But  _a tsi_ …!"

"Breathe in and relax - okay, Yolanda? I'll take it from here."

The Vice President let Esperanza free from the bearhug before long. Esperanza adjusted her glasses then faced Lorelei and Ligaya with a smile and spoke firmly and confidently,

"Sorry for all the drama about this surprise party, Lorelei, Ligaya - Yolanda and I had a little bit of miscommunication so things got kinda frantic there. But what Yolanda said is true - we wanted to surprise the two of you… but it's not much of a surprise anymore, is it?"

Ligaya stepped forward and shook her head and then smiled at Esperanza as she said,

"We appreciate this very much, Esperanza. We really do - but Lorelei and I were wondering why you would go so far just for the two of us. We're just regular members joining the club after all."

When Ligaya said this, Esperanza laid a hand on Ligaya's shoulder and looked straight into her eyes as she said,

"That's where you're wrong, Ligaya. The two of you are special - and I'm not exaggerating that. You may not know it, but there's been a lot of interest in the Broadcasting Club ever since the two of you joined us! People loved your Thunder Sisters skit in the Cultural Festival and you energized the school better than any of us ever could."

Esperanza then gently squeezed Ligaya's shoulder then turned to Lorelei as she said,

"Everyone here in the club is a fan of the two of you - myself included. All of us think that the two of you are godsends. With the two of you at our side, we know we can do anything! So please - have lunch with us."

Lorelei and Ligaya then beamed at Esperanza, Yolanda and the other members of the Broadcasting Club. The two of them then said in happy unison,

"Thank you for having us."

* * *

**Second Interlude**

As Lorelei and Ligaya joined the Broadcasting Club for a hearty, albeit late lunch that afternoon, Esperanza watched the two of them with great admiration. The former deputy adjusted her fake glasses as she watched how close the former Magni Domina and the former Aspirant had gotten in Mitakihara. Esperanza hummed as she listened to their stories and laughed when they cracked jokes.

No matter how Esperanza looked at them, she only saw two normal girls having fun doing club activities. None of the old titles remained with them and their memories of the past had almost certainly been wiped clean, but Esperanza felt that Lorelei and Ligaya hadn't changed one bit. Their circumstances had greatly changed, but Lorelei and Ligaya were still the two people that Esperanza and everyone else in that room admired.

Esperanza finished off a ham sandwich then tapped the shoulder of Yolanda seated beside her. The two of them then stepped out of the clubroom together under the backdrop of laughter and cheer. Once they were out of the room, Esperanza folded her arms and said,

"Yolanda - that was a pretty risky thing to say earlier. You were promising Ate Lorelei and Ate Ligaya things that we weren't exactly prepared to give them. I had to ransack the  _Hanasou_ 's kitchen and run all the way here to get all this ready!"

"Sorry  _a tsi_  Espe… it happened so quickly. You disappeared all of sudden too, so I improvise best I could."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry about leaving you guys alone too, but I had orders from Exemplar Miki. Besides - it all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"Yeah - thank goodness! I was ready say full novena in Hokkien but you save day!"

"Nah - I just did what I had to do, Yollie!"

"Eheheh - but I have to ask. How you make many sandwich all pretty like catering?  _A tsi_  Lorelei and  _a tsi_  Ligaya loved them - and other members loved too!"

Esperanza thoughtfully hummed then leaned against the glass walls as she said,

"Well, in case you already forgot, I wasn't exactly a useful magi in Witch hunts when we were still in the Edificio Gumamela. Our good ole' Carissima Elise had me assigned to kitchen duty a lot and that's where I learned how to make good food really quickly. I also found out everyone's favorite foods!"

"You do?"

"Yup! If I remember correctly, Ate Ligaya loves anything with ketchup or mayo - especially American brand hotdogs - with canned orange juice when that's available. Ate Lorelei loves roast beef and mustard… and I mean lots of mustard, it's scary. Ate Audrey loves deviled eggs with paprika - the redder the better. Ate Elise always has tomato soup, but I've seen her sneak into the kitchen at night to make egg toast. Then, Ate Serafina eats anything and everything at all!"

Yolanda joined her hands together with fascination and said,

"Wow - you really keep track  _a tsi_  Espe! But what about  _a tsi_  Michi? You know what she like?"

Esperanza sighed somberly and said,

"I never had the chance to serve Michi food and I don't think I'll ever have the chance to now that she's on the other side of the fence. It's a damn shame, really."

The former deputy then brushed the back of her hand against the holster she wore on her hip and said,

"I would have been more than happy to just keep cooking for everyone and serving them that way. But now, I'll have to be strong and serve them in battle again. We'll all have to be strong and believe in the Goddess Madoka. In order to do that, we need to rally behind Exemplar Miki and help her in every way that we can."

As Esperanza was saying this, her WristComm device suddenly started to buzz. The former deputy brought her WristComm up before her and she saw that it was a call from Sayaka Miki.

"Speak of the devil… uh, excuse me for a moment Yolly. I need to take this."

Esperanza walked further down the hall and, once she was out of earshot of Yolanda, turned on the directional microphone to greet,

"Good afternoon, Exemplar Miki."

"Likewise, Esperanza. Sorry to call you again after just meeting with you, but I have another favor to ask from you. It's about Ri-chan and Ai-chan and our plans for them - can I count on you?"

A tender smile then formed on Esperanza's lips as she said,

"If it's for Ate Lorelei's and Ate Ligaya's sake, I can do anything."

* * *

**Fifty-third Act - Stablemates**

After the late lunch party, Lorelei and Ligaya quickly got to work with the Broadcasting Club. Armed with their scripts and the well-equipped sound booth of the clubroom, Lorelei and Ligaya talked and recorded the rest of the afternoon away. Before either of them realized it, the sun had already started to set and the clock was just about to strike half past six.

"That's a wrap!" Esperanza said as she turned off the booth's microphones.

Lorelei and Ligaya stood up from within the booth and smiled as the members of the Broadcasting Club gave them a round of applause from behind the glass. The Thunder Sisters joined hands, faced their teammates then gave a thankful bow together.

Esperanza and Yolanda then joined Lorelei and Ligaya in the room and walked with them out to the clubroom door. Esperanza patted their new talents' shoulders with pride as she said,

"Good work today, you two! We've got a good portfolio for the daily broadcasts now and we've got our skit for Sports Day too!"

Lorelei turned to Esperanza with a humble smile and said,

"We're glad we could help out, Esperanza, but don't you guys need us to stay? We're the only ones who've packed our things for the day."

Esperanza patted Lorelei's shoulder again as she grinned,

"Don't worry! Don't worry! We're just going to do some editing work on the sound clips we got. The two of you should rest up - you deserve it!"

Ligaya came forward this time and gave Esperanza a peace sign. The Filipina could barely speak after the recording session, so she let Lorelei do her talking for her. The German girl gave Esperanza a peace sign as well as she said,

"We'll take you up on that offer then. See you guys around!"

With that, Lorelei and Ligaya waved to Esperanza and Yolanda and then started to walk down the spiral staircase. Once they were alone, Lorelei stretched her arms out and gave long, unlady-like yawn that echoed throughout the stairwell. The German girl then sleepily rubbed her eyes and then asked,

"So then,  _Schwester_. Want to head back home?"

Ligaya folded her arms and furrowed her brow in deep thought before she finally shrugged. Lorelei tilted her head and asked,

"So… you're tired but you don't want to go back home yet, huh?"

The German girl checked the time on her WristComm device and hummed,

"We've still got a lot of time before curfew. Going to the mall would have been nice, but we're both tired so that's out of the question."

Ligaya then flashed Lorelei a grin and then pointed out the stairwell windows towards the school auditorium. The German girl's expression brightened up as she said,

"Oh right... we can go there! Good idea, Ligaya! Let's go!"

Lorelei then took Ligaya by the hand and the two girls hurried down the spiral staircase together. The two of them then made a beeline for the school auditorium. Hiding beneath the shadows of the school's mulberry trees, the girls raced through the courtyard towards the auditorium and laughed as they felt the wind in their hair.

They waltzed into the auditorium and then crossed its concrete halls with fond and familiar steps until they reached the doors of the spare storeroom - their 'secret base'. The two girls entered the spare storeroom, closed the door behind them as they looked each other in the eye.

Mischievous smirks formed on Lorelei's and Ligaya's lips and then dropped the school bags they wore over their shoulders. Then, as soon as their bags hit the floor, the German girl and the Filipina burst into sprints towards the lone sofa couch in the middle of the room.

The girls spryly leapt over the backrest of the sofa. Lorelei skillfully landed sitting down on the cushion but Ligaya overshot her jump and was about to land front first on the floor. The Filipina then felt Lorelei's arms catch her in a hug and the German girl pulled her back into the sofa,

"Hehe, gotcha!"

Ligaya heaved a sigh of relief and then wearily croaked,

"That was a close one…"

Lorelei and Ligaya then shared a laugh as they let themselves sink into the sofa together. Before either of them could get comfortable however, the door of the spare storeroom slid open and the two girls felt their faces grow pale. Lorelei let go of Ligaya and the two of them huddled behind the sofa's backrest like soldiers peeking out from a foxhole. From there, the two girls saw their History teacher, Kazuko Saotome, standing at the entrance.

The teacher was wearing the MJHS faculty tracksuit and she was holding a clipboard in her right hand. Saotome tilted her head when she saw the heads of black and golden hair poking out from behind the sofa, so she called out to them,

"Sankuto-san? Derakruzu-san?"

" _Eeep~!_ "

Lorelei and Ligaya squeaked in fright as they rushed to hide behind the sofa, but the hiss of the soft cushion gave their location away. Thus, the two of them rose up from behind cover and raised their hands up to surrender to the teacher. The strange sight confused the teacher even more as she asked,

"Why are the two of you so jumpy? I'm not here to evict you guys or anything - you have a permit to use this room after all!"

The two girls laughed uncomfortably as they remembered their permit, so they wondered why they got so frightened in the first place. Lorelei was about to say something to explain themselves, but her face paled up again when she saw a peculiar object holstered by the teacher's hip.

" _Scheise_ , it's a gun!"

Saotome gasped as she remembered the gun she brought in and she promptly apologized,

"Oh dear, oh dear…! Uhmm… please calm down! This is a race gun for Sports Day! I came here to see if there we had enough blank rounds for the event."

The teacher pulled her gun from the holster then opened its cylinder as she said,

"See - it's not even loaded!"

Despite Saotome's reassurance, Lorelei still stiffened like a statue in the face of their armed teacher. Ligaya, on the other hand, didn't seem to be so bothered by the weapon. As a matter of fact, Ligaya's eyes watched the weapon with great fascination. After a few moments of silence, the Filipina turned to Saotome and asked with a rusty croak,

"That's… a Colt, isn't it?"

Saotome blinked twice, not sure if she heard the Filipina properly. Ligaya, however, looked at her with a straight face, cleared her throat and then asked again with a clearer voice,

"It's not a model I'm familiar with, but that's a Colt for sure, right?"

The teacher gave a stiff nod and said,

"Why uh… yes. This  _is_  a Colt revolver, but how did you know that?"

Ligaya grinned at Saotome and then happily said,

"My dad owns a Peacemaker at home - a .45ACP model - and he really loves it! He let me take it apart and put it back together a few times, so I'm very familiar with Colt revolvers. I can tell which guns are Colts and which ones are not!"

Saotome's eyes brightened up when Ligaya said this and she snapped her revolver's cylinder back into place as she praised,

"Ara~! That's amazing Derakuruzu-san! I never thought I'd find another gun enthusiast around here in school - let alone having a student who loves them!"

Ligaya scratched the back of her head and laughed,

"Ehehe~ I'm not exactly a  _fan_  of guns and weapons, but I really like finding out how they work and seeing what makes them tick! They're simple yet complex machines that are a class of their own! Besides - I don't even know what model of Colt your gun is, sensei."

The mousy teacher adjusted her glasses then started to speak with great pride as she brought her gun closer to Ligaya for her to see,

"This here, my dear, is the revered Colt Python - the 'combat magnum'. She's a 6-inch model chambered for the .357 Magnum and packs a little more punch than your Peacemaker's ACPs. She was also designed sometime during the Korean War, so I guess you can say she's the granddaughter of the Peacemaker which was a 19th century gun."

The teacher's eyes then sharpened as she pointed her Python at the window in a swift motion and pulled the trigger. Lorelei cringed in fright, but Ligaya eagerly kept her eyes on the Python and watched the gun's hammer cock back on its own. Ligaya covered her mouth with her hands as she swooned,

"It's a double-action gun!"

Saotome skillfully twirled the heavy gun and then slid it back into its holster with confidence as she said,

"That's right! Double-action guns are pretty useful in a pitched firefight!"

When she said this, however, Saotome quickly lost her bravado and started stuttering again,

"N-not that I've ever been in a firefight in my life! This here's just a race gun that fires blanks - yes!"

Lorelei raised her brow with suspicion as she tried to imagine their mousy History teacher in a firefight, but Ligaya eagerly bought Saotome's story. The Filipina placed her hands together and then cheered her teacher on,

"Saotome-sensei has such a cool hobby!"

The teacher smiled but put she raised a finger to her lips as she said,

"I'm glad you think so, Derakuruzu-san, but let's keep this a secret between us okay? Owning a gun in Japan's already hard enough as it is!"

Ligaya gamely nodded right away while Lorelei sheepishly followed the Filipina's lead. Saotome then heaved a sigh then walked around the spare storeroom with an air of happy reminiscence about her,

"So the four of you have been using this place as a 'secret base', huh? I really like what you all have done with it."

Saotome then fondly laid a hand on the backrest of the sofa as she said,

"Back when I was still a student here at MJHS, a dear friend of mine and I… we used this same room as a secret base. We even used this very same sofa too! I'm glad it's still in such good condition after all these years! Now, I guess we'll have to pass all this on to the next generation."

The teacher gently patted the backrest again then turned to Lorelei and Ligaya with a smile,

"You know, not too long ago, I gave your friend Duramayue-san some advice about planning for the future. That's a very important thing to do down the line and, once the two of you are sophomores, I'll have you fill in your own Career Plan Sheets too. However, you shouldn't forget to cherish your youth while you still have it. Live life to the fullest. Play the games you want to play while you can. Tell your true feelings while you still have the courage. That way, you can live your life without regrets."

Lorelei and Ligaya nodded to the teacher's profound advice, wondering what made the teacher say that all of the sudden. Ligaya gulped then cautiously asked,

"Do  _you_ have any regrets, Saotome-sensei?"

The teacher turned away from the two girls and walked back towards the spare storeroom's doors. Saotome stood in the doorway for a moment of thoughtful silence before she adjusted her glasses and said in a somber yet tender tone,

"That's a secret, Derakuruzu-san."

* * *

**Epilogue**

When evening fell upon Mitakihara, Lorelei and Ligaya traced their steps back to the Hanasou Girl's Dormitory and watched as the lights on the Kagami tree-lined path and the rest of the metropolis came on around them. Street by street, block by block and district by district, a myriad of lights shone in the darkness that fell over the earth, dazzling Lorelei and Ligaya like the sea of stars that were absent again from the night sky.

Fascinated by the lights, Lorelei and Ligaya grinned at each other and then entered the Hanasou together. They scanned their WristComms on the logbook scanner by the door and then headed straight for their room - Room 108 - halfway through the ground floor hall with springs in their steps. As soon as they got inside, they changed into their pajamas, brought out a pair of futons from their closet and then laid them out on the floor. Ligaya dove down beneath her bed and then proudly pulled out her stash of potato chips and juice boxes, placing them next to the futons.

Then, once everything was set, the two girls turned off the lights in their room and sat together on the futons in the darkness. From where they sat, they could see the train set that they built bathing in the silver light of the moon that flowed in through the windows. Lorelei and Ligaya themselves basked in the moonlight and sat in silence as they admired their work.

Moments later, the girls heard two knocks on their door that drew their attention. Ligaya saw two shadows in the faint light that came from the hallways through the small space between the door and the floor. The Filipina smiled and stood up from the futon as she said,

"They're right on time!"

Ligaya pranced over to the door and opened it while shielding her eyes from the hallway lights that suddenly flooded their dark room. The Filipina braved the light with a wince and finally managed to see their two guests that night. Michi and Elise were standing there together at the door and were also in their pajamas. Ligaya nodded in approval and then greeted their guests with a bright smile,

"Good evening Michi, Elise! Please - come on inside! We've been waiting for the two of you!"

Lorelei also turned over to the guests from the futon and happily chimed in,

"Everything's ready, so  _komme schnell!_  Come sit with us!"

Michi and Elise turned to each other, wondering why the room was so dark and just what Lorelei and Ligaya had in store for them. The Hokkaido native and the French girl then shrugged and excused themselves as they walked into the room,

"Pardon our intrusion."

With that, Ligaya closed the door behind Michi and Elise then guided the two of them through the darkness of Room 108. The Filipina brought the two to the futons and sat them together between herself and Lorelei.

Michi and Elise squinted as the two of them could hardly see the moonlit scene in the darkness from the where they sat. Neither of them knew exactly what they were looking for, after all, but the two of them sat still and trusted that Lorelei and Ligaya knew what they were doing.

Then, when the clock struck nine in the evening, the quiet whir of a small electric engine echoed through the room. The headlights of the small, model steam locomotive came on along with the lights from its train cars on the turntable station on Ligaya's side of the room.

Slowly but surely, the train then started to move forward down the tracks. As the train passed by, the miniature streetlights and lights from the windows of the buildings in Taysan came on, drawing an amazed 'oh' from the usually stern Elise.

With every light that came on, the scene became clearer and clearer for Michi and Elise to see. Then, when the train reached the two-faced bridge, the bridge's lights came on all at once and sparkled like fireworks. When the train finally reached the Tiergarten's turntable station, the entire train set was illuminated and both Michi and Elise were at a loss for words. They had already seen what the set looked like through pictures in the daytime, but neither of them imagined that the nighttime skyline that Lorelei and Ligaya had made would be that beautiful.

Lorelei then turned to their two guests and said,

"The two of you are the first ones we've shown this set. We poured our hearts and souls into this, so we hope you liked it. The two of you have been dear friends to me and Ligaya so… I guess this is our way of saying thanks."

Ligaya then happily joined in and said,

"We hope we can always be together like this - the four of us. We all still have our whole lives ahead of us after all!"

Elise fell silent when Lorelei and Ligaya spoke with their hearts on their sleeves like that. The irony of the German girl's and the Filipina's words were not lost on Elise and a bitter frown formed on her lips. Michi, on the other hand, suddenly started to sob. Lorelei, Ligaya and Elise all knew that the Hokkaido native always held her cards close to her chest, so seeing her in tears like that caught them all by surprise.

Then, as her tears sparkled from the lights of the train set, Michi wore a rare smile and said,

"Yes - we still have our whole lives ahead of us. We'll all lead long, happy and full lives… and we'll always be together. It will be a true miracle. I promise. I… I…"

More tears threatened to flow and Michi found herself unable to say any more. Lorelei and Ligaya were moved by Michi's emotion and the two of them suddenly embraced Michi to comfort her. Along the way, they snagged Elise as well and brought everyone together into one big hug.

Wrapped tightly in everyone's arms, the tearful Michi basked in everyone's warmth. The Hokkaido native's sobbing slowly gave way to a snicker at first that soon erupted into a hearty, albeit tearful laugh. Michi then hugged everyone back and the four of them all laughed together.

The laughter of the four girls echoed and filled the room as the model steam locomotive in the Tiergarten turntable aligned with the track and began its journey anew.

…

Outside of Room 108, Esperanza Salita stood in the hallway and leaned against the wall as she listened to the laughter coming from the other side. The former deputy folded her arms and listened to the laughter with nervous anxiety. Hearing the muffled laughs of Lorelei, Ligaya, Elise and Michi all together sent a chill up Esperanza's spine as she muttered to herself,

"Ate Sayaka wasn't kidding - it  _does_  sound kinda creepy when they laugh together. It sounds kinda familiar too… but why would that be…?"

Esperanza furrowed her brow and then shook her head to cast her thoughts aside before she pressed her back against the wall. She quietly reminded herself that she was on a mission and listened in again through the walls of Room 108 as best as she could. Then, she heard the rumble of thunder coming from outside - the harbinger of a rare summer storm.

The former deputy stood still, but she suddenly couldn't help but feel that she was being watched. Esperanza scanned the hallway around her, but there was no one else but her there. The other residents aside from her four marks were supposed to be in their rooms and the dorm prefect should have already finished her rounds an hour ago. There also weren't any surveillance cameras in the hall.

Thunder rumbled again and Esperanza saw lightning outside through the window. The flash of light, however, revealed the silhouette of a small, battered creature that made Esperanza's heart skip a beat. When the light subsided, however, the figure was gone.

**To Be Continued**


	17. The Dreamers

**Prologue**

The glass-walled halls of the Mitakihara Junior High School felt entirely different in the evening, Kazuko Saotome thought as she walked through the third floor of the auxiliary building. The bespectacled teacher relished in the silence of the empty campus and then smiled as she bathed in the silver light of the moon in the starless sky that flowed in through the glass walls.

The silence and the silver light transformed the halls into an entirely new world filled with wonder. In that world, Saotome felt that even her average figure, dorky haircut, plain glasses and her school faculty tracksuit became something slightly divine.

Moved by her own imagination, Saotome waltzed through the moonlit halls and then sauntered into the faculty room - the only room in the campus where the lights were still on. The teacher navigated through the cubicles to find her own spot, sat down on her swivel chair and then leaned back into it as far as the chair would go. The teacher then found herself facing the ceiling as she mused to herself,

"I still can't believe I became a teacher - after saying I wanted to get out of this school as quickly as possible. And yet..."

Saotome then turned to the picture on her corkboard where she and Junko Kaname were posing together in their middle school uniforms. A fond smile broke out on her lips as she said,

"Our wishes still came true somehow - even without that creature's miracle. But sometimes, I still wonder what would have happened if the two of us took the plunge back then."

The teacher then yawned and joined her hands together on her modest chest as she was tempted to rest her eyes and maybe dream for a while. However, there was suddenly a knock on her cubicle's divider that gave Saotome a start. She scrambled to sit upright but she tilted her glasses awkwardly and she nearly fell off of her inclined chair.

Saotome promptly adjusted her glasses, straightened up her chair in a hurry and then turned around to the entrance of her cubicle where the curious presence was standing. The bespectacled teacher stuttered in disbelief,

"P-Principal! W-what are you doing here so late at night?"

Standing there at the cubicle entrance was Kazuko Saotome's boss - the elderly principal of the Mitakihara Junior High School. The principal wore a kindly smile that shifted the wrinkles on her face as she said,

"Ara~ Saotome-kun. I could ask you the same question! Are you doing alright? As far as I know, you're the only teacher in the faculty who stays this late - and this often, noi!"

Saotome scratched the back of her head and laughed uncomfortably as she said,

"Ehehehe, I have no choice  _but_  to work hard. Have you read the expanded Student Council meeting's minutes today? They had a really interesting resolution for Sports Day and they approved some really interesting events too."

"Yes, I have read the minutes, Saotome-kun. It is indeed rather interesting, noi!"

"But that means a bit more work to do on my part. It's still two weeks from now, but I had to start the preparations. Two weeks can come by pretty fast, after all. For the students themselves, those two weeks will fly even faster. That's how it felt for me when I was still studying here."

"Is that why you're working so hard, Saotome-kun?"

The teacher nodded firmly and said,

"I want these children to have a good school life and a good life afterwards. Lately, I've been watching over some of my students - Hideyoshi-san, Sankuto-san and Derakuruzu-san from 1-2 and Duramayue-san from 3-4. I talked with them recently and they really remind me of when my friend and I were still studying here. Because of that, I want to give my absolute best to make them happy and to lead full lives once they pass through here."

The principal joined her hands behind her back and her smile grew warmer as she said,

"Education is our profession, Saotome-kun. We nurture talent and cultivate better people, noi. We carry these children on our shoulders until they can walk down their paths on their own - and until their dreams are within reach. We have to be there for them and give it our all, noi!"

Saotome smiled and nodded, "I totally agree."

The principal nodded back and then said,

"In that case, why don't you go home for now, Saotome-kun? It's already late and you've done a lot of work today, noi."

Saotome hummed and considered her options, but her eyes wandered over to the paperwork in her backlog tray. The principal then said,

"It's alright, Saotome-kun. You're only human - and humans need their rest, noi? Go on now - I'll close up here. I want my Program Coordinator to be well-rested, after all!"

Saotome conceded with a sigh and then gave a thankful nod to the principal. She gathered her things into her handbag and then headed straight home as the principal saw her off with a kindly wave. The teacher walked through the moonlit halls once more with wings on her feet.

But, as soon as Saotome got into her car and put on her seatbelt, she had a realization,

"The principal never told me why she was here, did she? Oh well..."

…

The principal of the MJHS watched from the halls of the auxiliary building as Saotome's subcompact car pulled out of the driveway. Once the teacher drove out into the distance, the principal's kindly smile grew wider. The principal turned around and then started walking towards her office at the end of the hall.

The door shimmered light purple for a moment, reacting to the principal's presence. Then, when she laid a hand on the doorknob, the door unlocked itself with a heavy metal click and then opened all on its own.

The principal entered her office and then closed the door behind her. When she turned around, she saw that there were two people seated on the armchairs before her office's mahogany desk while the executive chair behind her desk was turned around. On the left armchair sat the police chief of the Kanagawa Prefecture who was wearing the full ceremonial uniform of the Mitakihara Police Department complete with neat rows of service ribbons on her chest and golden braids on her pauldrons. Then, on the right sat the stern, elderly company executive who wore a sharp, pinstriped business suit with the pin of Elysian Fashion Asia on her lapel.

The police chief wore a kindly smile and a relaxed expression that mirrored the principal as she greeted,

" _Ara~_ you're finally here, little sister! We've been waiting for you, noi!"

The company executive, on the other hand, crossed her legs dismissively and leered as the principal as she said,

"Ah, great - the  _other_  half of the always-smiling 'Manuke Twins'. You've wasted enough of our time already, noi."

The principal chuckled, taking the insult in stride as she said,

" _Ara~_  frigid as always, Ibari-chan. This  _is_  my office, you noi?"

"You  _Manuke_  asshats are the last people I want to hear calling me by my real name."

Still, the principal was unfazed and kept her own kindly smile. She then pressed her hands together as she asked with a pleasant air,

"The two of you seem well dressed, noi. Are we expecting the Mistress to visit?"

As she asked this, the executive chair behind the mahogany desk turned around and revealed the feisty figure of the student council president Noe Ogasawara - the human form of the Clara Doll Warukuchi- seated there. The student council president then laid her feet on the principal's desk and said,

"Sadly, you lot won't be having the honor of the Mistress' presence tonight, noi. That means you'll have to settle with me instead, you grannies."

A rare frown grew on the principal's lips. She faced the student council president then asked with a concerned tone,

"Warukuchi-chan. The Mistress and the Second Mistress have been out and about a lot lately and none of the other Clara Dolls seem to know why, noi. You've accompanied the two of them all this time, haven't you? You even missed an important Student Council meeting today. What exactly is going on, noi?"

Warukuchi heaved a tired hum and then leaned back into the principal's executive chair. She then looked up to the plaster ceiling of the office as she moaned,

"Oh Mistress, where do I start, Manuke-obaasan? There's so much shit going on that it's getting hard to keep track of it all, noi! Things were so much simpler when the Mistress just wanted us to destroy everything. Now, we have the ex-vicar of the  _dead goddess_  calling herself our Second Mistress, a resentful raspberry who's just asking to get squished and a bunch of wretched rodents who are getting more restless and defiant with every day."

The student council president then folded her arms and grumbled,

"The Wraiths have been growing stronger and we know for sure that the Incubators have something to do with this. They won't talk, of course. They'll never admit to it. However - we have them corralled in detention centers and have their leaders locked up in the Panopticon tower. Why won't the Mistress just let us go into that tower and kill every single one of those rodents!? The Second Mistress is turning our Mistress soft! I swear!"

Warukuchi paused to catch her breath and then brought her feet down from the principal's desk. She then faced the three senior Clara Dolls gathered before her.

"Still, the Mistress asked me to gather you three here tonight. We already know that the Incubators are strengthening the Wraiths, but they couldn't have done it on their own, noi. The Incubators get some hours of freedom every day from their cells as part of our 'negotiations' with their leaders. There has to be someone on the outside who is helping them during that time. We have to find out who that tomato is, noi. Then, we'll take her. We'll smash her real good. Then, we'll drag her bloody pulp through the streets for everyone to see and then feed her to the birds."

The company executive then closed her eyes and spoke firmly,

"Warukuchi-sama. Why don't we just take those people one at a time and then interrogate them, noi? I've been keeping an eye on the three adults over at Elysian Fashion - the American, the Ukrainian and the  _dead goddess'_  mother. Just give me the word and I will question them as 'thoroughly' as we question the Incubators, noi!"

Warukuchi scoffed and said,

"I like that initiative, Ibari-obaasan… but as much as I would like to do that, the Mistress forbade us from laying a hand on those people. We can't do as we please when it comes to the Archangels and the other people the Mistress cares about in this world. So keep an eye on them for now and look for any evidence we can use. There may be more dancers on the floor than we realize, noi."

The executive gave a nod and said,

"If that is the will of the Mistress then so be it, noi."

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**The Dreamers**

* * *

**Fifty-fourth Act - Special Delivery**

At a quarter past eleven, Kazuko Saotome arrived at her home - a run-down, thirty-floor tenement at the north-west Second District of Mitakihara. The place had seen better days, the teacher mused to no one in particular. She remembered when the building's majestic view of Tokyo Bay was obstructed by the elevated throngs of Tokyo-bound expressways that finished construction a decade ago. Most of the families who lived in the tenement left during the expressway construction to search for greener pastures, but Saotome stayed for the long haul and watched the tenement fall into disarray.

The teacher parked her subcompact car in the tenement's cramped, outdoor lot where a myriad of old, poorly-maintained cars in various degrees of disrepair were congregated. That made Saotome's plain subcompact one of the better-looking cars in the lot. So, the teacher made sure to lock her car and to hide anything that might look like it would have even the slightest bit of value from sight.

Saotome glanced around the lot for any prying eyes and kept her left hand on her handbag and her right hand near the holster of her Colt Python revolver at her hip.

As she was passing through the lot, she noticed another vehicle that stood out from the rest - an unassuming yet well-maintained, maroon-colored delivery van covered in all sorts of rental service advertisement stickers. Curious, the teacher observed the van with interest and wondered which of her neighbors owned it.

Saotome then felt the cold evening breeze from the sea blowing through the lot, but she also noticed the faint traces of an odd fog that started to roll in as well. That was strange, Saotome thought. There wasn't supposed to be any fog in the weather forecasts for that evening and the predicted thunderstorm from a while ago turned out to be a dud. What's more, the fog was going against the direction of the wind and was coming from the nearby industrial complexes. Seeing this gave her a bad feeling.

Saotome was about to check her WristComm to look at the weather forecast again when she noticed the reflection of a figure approaching her from behind in the side-view mirror of the maroon van. The teacher turned towards the approaching figure and then saw a middle-aged man in ragged clothes that Saotome didn't recognize.

The man had a malicious smirk on his lips and his eyes were hidden beneath unnatural shadows. He didn't seem to notice - or didn't seem to care - that the teacher was staring at him and continued his approach. The man licked his lips and his fingers twitched in anticipation, but the teacher's eyes only grew sharper.

The teacher didn't have anything of value on her person aside from her plain, decade-old WristComm. She was also dressed in a plain, unflattering tracksuit as well. Saotome knew what this man approaching her wanted and she could tell that he was desperate.

The usually mousy Saotome, however, didn't panic. She popped open the strap of her revolver's holster with a practiced flick of her thumb. She told herself that if the man took one more step towards her, she would draw her weapon in an instant.

If that didn't work, Saotome also knew that her gun was loaded and that she was ready to protect herself.

Saotome's sharp eyes were hidden behind the glare of her spectacles, so the man didn't see them and he took another step forward. Like a coiled spring, Saotome was already preparing herself to pull out her gun when she suddenly heard another pair of brisk footsteps coming towards her.

The teacher turned her side and then saw the towering figure of an Eastern European lady - a Ukrainian with short black hair in a simple bob-cut - who seemed to appear out of nowhere. The Ukrainian set herself between Saotome and the man and then folded her arms as she calmly asked,

"So what seems to be going on here,  _tovarisch_?"

As soon as the man saw the hardy Ukrainian woman looming over him, his obsessive streak ended like a popped bubble and he suddenly panicked. The man stumbled backwards and fell on his ass but quickly picked himself up again to run out of the parking lot. Thus, the teacher was left alone with the Ukrainian who saved her.

Saotome was awed at the exchange and turned to the Ukrainian to thank her. She then got a good look at her savior and gasped when she recognized her,

"You're Larivenko-san, right? One of Junko's teammates?"

The Ukrainian nodded and gave the teacher a cheerful thumbs up,

"Yup! And I couldn't just stand by as my boss' best friend gets harassed by some weirdo late at night. The Second District isn't exactly a good part of town, after all."

Saotome nodded then promptly gave the Ukrainian a deep bow,

"Thank you very much, Larivenko-san!"

"It's my pleasure, Saotome- _tovarisch!_  Though, I have to ask - what brings you to such a mean part of town?"

The teacher then looked up to the top of the brick tenement beside them and said with a bittersweet tone,

"Believe it or not, this mean part of town is my home. I live in this brick tenement here, you see. I don't have a lot of money to my name, so this is the best I can do for now."

The Ukrainian's eyes brightened up when she heard this, so she exclaimed,

"Eh? Really? That makes the two of us neighbors then! Come, I'll walk you to the entrance!"

Saotome nodded again and the two of them walked together towards the main lobby of the tenement. They sat on one of the cheap sofas near the lobby vending machines and Serafina eagerly asked,

"Hey - what unit are you in,  _tovarisch_?"

"Oh, uh… I'm in 1988 in the west wing. My family moved in and bought the unit back in the 2060's."

Serafina's jaw dropped and she clenched her fists in excitement as she replied,

"1932 in the east! I only started renting it in March though. But gosh! To think that the boss' best friend is living on the same floor as me!"

Saotome smiled back and said,

"Likewise, Larivenko-san. A friend of Junko's is a friend of mine. It's good to know that there's someone I can trust in this damned building!"

"I know, right?"

The teacher and the Ukrainian then shared a laugh and then Serafina offered to buy them drinks. Saotome accepted and then watched the towering Ukrainian standing nearly as tall the vending machine she was buying from. It was also the first time that the teacher noticed that Serafina was wearing the jumpsuit of a delivery company.

Serafina returned with a can of blueberry juice for the teacher and a can of milk coffee for herself. The two of them then shared a toast. After a delightful sip, Saotome turned to Serafina and asked,

"Larivenko-san, I was just curious... that maroon delivery van outside in the lot wouldn't happen to be yours, would it?"

Serafina turned to one of the lobby's windows where she saw her van and she then grinned with pride,

"Why, yes it is! Though, technically, it's owned by the delivery company that my day job's company contracted for logistics. Complicated business, really - but let's just say that it's my van,  _da_?"

The teacher lowered her drink and asked,

"You work for the delivery company  _and_  for Elysian Fashion?"

Serafina nodded and took a long sip of her milk coffee and said,

"Elysian Fashion is my day job and I usually drive trucks there when I'm not slaving away on a computer... or when they're short on drivers, which happens more often than you would think. The delivery company's my sideline job at night where I drive that van over there. The boss… I mean, Junko- _tovarisch_  sometimes even asks me to chauffeur for her family from time to time too so I also get to drive their brand new Honda Grace. I'm always on the road - like a nomad, really."

A concerned frown formed on Saotome's lips as she said,

"That sounds like a really tough schedule, Larivenko-san. I remember Junko telling me about you when she got back from the US. She said you were in Ukraine in your younger years, then you drifted to Russia, then to the US and now here in Japan."

The teacher took another sip of her juice and then leaned back into her seat as she thought out loud,

"I've been in this country - hell, I've been living in this tenement all my life, you see. I've only been out of Mitakihara to accompany third year students on their school trips. My roots here run so deep that I can't imagine a life where I'm always on the move like that."

Serafina heaved an understanding sigh as she told her own story,

"It really is tough, Saotome- _tovarisch_. My roots are all over the place! It can get kinda stressful living in a state of flux like this everyday, you know. It might be culture shock, or whatever. But when I'm on the road, I somehow feel right at home."

The Ukrainian then snickered as she joked,

"Maybe I descended from the Mongolians?"

Saotome sprayed some blueberry juice from her mouth as she burst out into laughter. Serafina, on the other hand, giggled and lent the teacher a handkerchief. Saotome had to wipe tears from her eyes from laughing too hard. The Ukrainian remembered her boss Junko telling her how much Saotome enjoyed history jokes, but Serafina didn't know they would work  _that_  well on her.

Once the teacher managed to calm down, she turned to Serafina again and asked with a hint of caution,

"If you don't mind, Larivenko-san, why are you working so many jobs? If you're working that hard in that many jobs, you should have enough money to find a better place than this tenement."

The Ukrainian took a sip of her coffee and then took a moment of pensive silence. Saotome was about to retract her question when Serafina finally spoke with a bittersweet smile on her lips,

"There's an old brick building like this tenement in Volgograd, Russia - a much smaller one, mind you. It's quite old too and dates back as far as the days of the USSR. It's called the  _Romashka_  - named after the flower, I was told - and was one of the largest orphanages in Russia west of the Ural Mountains. I was an orphan who lived and was raised in that building."

Serafina then folded her arms as she fondly continued

"I was the oldest orphan there so I grew up taking care of the others as everybody's older sister. The orphanage didn't have much, but we scraped by. They helped me finish my education and they were there for me when I needed them the most. I wanted to repay the orphanage for being good to me all those years, so I set out to work abroad after finishing high school. I've sent the them money I could spare ever since."

Serafina's smile then grew warm as she said,

"But let me tell you this too,  _tovarisch_. The orphan girls of the  _Romashka_  all share something in common. All of them dream of becoming dancers one day, and I hope that I can help make their dreams come true."

Saotome then wore a sympathetic smile when she heard this. After all, she was doing the same thing for the students at the Mitakihara Junior High School. The teacher then faced Serafina happily and said,

"That's an honorable cause, Larivenko-san, and I respect that a lot. I wish you and the  _Romashka_  orphans well."

"Hehe, thanks Saotome- _tovarisch_. I hope I don't disappoint them!"

The Ukrainian then checked her WristComm device and saw that it was already almost midnight. She then nodded to the teacher and said,

"My delivery shift's going to start soon. I'll need to get going."

Serafina finished the rest of her milk coffee and then tossed it into the recycling bin nearby. She then turned to the teacher one more time and said,

"By the way - I just delivered a package to the mailbox here for Room 1988 before I saw you at the parking lot. It seemed like an express delivery package."

Saotome nodded thankfully and then she bid the Ukrainian farewell. The teacher then finished her blueberry juice and passed by the tenement's mail room. She opened the package mailbox and found a small, cardboard box with a number of 'handle with care' stickers slapped onto it. Saotome picked up the box, gave it a little shake. She then heard the metallic rattle of bullets coming from inside. The teacher then smiled as she said,

"It's just in time for Sports Day!"

* * *

**Fifty-fifth Act, First Movement - The Midnight Deliverywoman**

_June 6, 2088 - Sunday_

Serafina Larivenko bought a second can of milk coffee on her way out of the tenement and she then hopped into the elevated cab of her maroon delivery van. She set her can of coffee in the cupholder, tuned the van's radio to Mitakihara's classical music station and then put on a pair of driving gloves. The Waltz movement of Swan Lake played on the van's speakers as she started the engine.

A digital interface lit up on the dashboard of the van that brought up a formless screen that displayed Serafina's itinerary. She gave her schedule a quick glance, set her GPS and then waited for the stroke of midnight - the beginning of her shift. Once the clock struck twelve, she pulled out of the tenement parking lot and then started her delivery runs in and around the industrial complexes of the Second District.

For a good few hours or so, she plied through busy expressways and sleepy back-alleys alike to load freight from the warehouses of one complex to the factories in another. Serafina's Second District deliveries were always random, so her clients and destinations changed from one day to the next. Thus, Serafina never really cared much for them. She reported in, did her work and then left without much fanfare.

Her last delivery for her shift, however, was always a job at the Kasamino Fleet Activities naval base all the way in the First District of Kasamino. Serafina always looked forward to that job. It always started with a pleasant drive down the expressway that ran alongside Tokyo Bay towards Kasamino - an hour-long drive without traffic as the sun rose in the horizon. Serafina would lower her windows and then bask in the cool, fresh and salty air as the locks of her short black hair fluttered in the wind.

Serafina's job at Kasamino Fleet Activities was usually a series of small tasks - moving crates of rations and other random things between warehouses that only needed minimum security clearances. Whenever Serafina arrived at the gates, the American and the Japanese military policemen would take a quick peek inside her van as per procedure and then gloss over her manifestos before they let her in. Security was much stricter when Serafina first started doing jobs at the naval base but those inspections became a formality as time passed. By then, Serafina already knew most of the MPs stationed at the gates of the naval base and the MPs likewise knew her as well.

As a matter of fact, the soldiers at the base practically treated her as 'one of their own'. After all, Serafina spoke both English and Japanese fairly well, was punctual and trustworthy and had the strength and frame that rivaled even the hardiest of the marines and sailors stationed at Kasamino. The Ukrainian even laughed at the same jokes they all cracked at the base.

One of the junior officers at the base even offered Serafina a permanent job at Kasamino base once in the past, but Serafina simply couldn't accept. She still was a Ukrainian citizen after all and had no business working permanently in an American base on Japanese soil. Serafina also already had a stable day job with Junko Kaname and Audrey Burnham that she was loyal to - a job that she wouldn't give up for the world.

So, instead of a permanent job, the junior officer and the MPs gave Serafina a meal card that she could use in one of the mess halls in the base. After finishing her work around the base, the MPs would invite the Ukrainian to have breakfast with them. Serafina tried to refuse out of embarrassment at first, but she eventually gave in and regularly ate breakfast there in the base.

At breakfast, Serafina had the pleasure of watching the the morning colors ceremony from the mess hall. Serafina would watch as the flags of the United States and Japan rose together on tall flagpoles facing Tokyo Bay. The marines and the MPs in the mess hall and everyone else around the base always stood up in attention and saluted the flags as they rose while a brass band of the US Marines played the  _Star-Spangled Banner_  and then  _Kimi ga yo_. Serafina didn't salute the flags but she still stopped eating for a while and stood up as well out of respect. That was her way of saying thanks for the free food, she whispered to herself.

Once the flags of the US and Japan were hoisted up, a third flag then rose up while the brass band played a snippet of the Largo movement of Dvorak's 9th Symphony. The third flag was a purple banner that always caught Serafina's eye since it seemed to fly above even the flags of the US and Japan. It was also the same banner that the three ships of the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force's 'Mitakihara Squadron' flew when they set off on their patrols in the mornings.

Even from far away, Serafina could recognize the silhouettes of the three vessels and tell them apart. The flagship was a large, helicopter-carrying destroyer called the JDS Mitakihara while its two escorts were guided missile frigates named the JDS Yubari and the JDS Kabocha. Like clockwork, those three ships would steam out of Tokyo Bay immediately after the morning colors were raised over the Kasamino naval base.

Serafina always looked forward to seeing those three ships and admired them from afar. However, she did wonder why the Japanese named the escorts of one of their most advanced warships after an expensive melon and a common pumpkin respectively. The Ukrainian never bothered to ask about that, but she still imagined what it would be like to sail on one of those three warships as she longingly whispered,

"It's been so long since I was out at sea."

In any case, when the Mitakihara Squadron passed by the seaside flagpoles of Kasamino Fleet Activities, Serafina knew that it was time to leave and head back to Mitakihara.

With that, Serafina bid farewell to the MPs, the sailors and the marines she had befriended then returned to her delivery van. The gate guards waved to Serafina and called out to her,

"Same time tomorrow, Ms. Larivenko?"

Serafina grinned and waved back with her gloved hand as she said,

"Always,  _tovarisch!_  See you again!"

Serafina then pulled out of the naval base driveway and took the bayside expressway back to her home in the Second District.

* * *

**Fifty-fifth Act, Second Movement - Dolled Up And Ready To Go**

At a quarter past seven, Serafina arrived back at the old, Second District tenement. She parked her van and then hurried up to her cramped unit on the nineteenth floor of the east wing - Room 1932. In a little over two hours, her day job at the Elysian Fashion Asia building would begin. Thus, she took off her driving gloves and her WristComm, slipped out of her dusty overalls and then took a shower while listening to Tchaikovsky's  _Waltz of the Snowflakes_  playing on her device.

Serafina hummed along to the waltz as she washed the sweat and the dirt from her body with soap and shampooed her short hair. She then danced beneath her showerhead as she rinsed off the suds. The Ukrainian turned off her shower but continued her little impromptu dance routine as she wiped herself down with a white towel. Once she was dry, the  _Waltz of the Snowflakes_  ended and Serafina started putting on her work dress - a simple breezy crimson blouse with a matching black skirt that starkly contrasted her spartan delivery company overalls.

A new song then came on from Serafina's playlist - Benny Goodman's  _Sing, Sing, Sing_. The Ukrainian nodded her head in approval and then took her place at her bathroom sink. There, she started putting on her make up.

Serafina brought out various product samples from Elysian Fashion's 'Angel Collection' - the same make-up set that her team proposed to market just weeks ago. The Ukrainian laid down the make-up set in order and then started a meticulous and delicate ritual. She powdered her face with light yet precise strokes and put on her lip gloss with such delicate care that would have seemed unusual for a large and husky young lady like herself.

No matter how the towering Ukrainian looked while putting her make-up on, her handiwork was impeccable. Serafina pulled off the 'no-makeup' look as if it were second nature to her and then smiled proudly at her own reflection in the mirror as she whispered to herself,

"I've still got it!"

Serafina washed her hands, turned off her music and then set aside her make-up set. She then headed out of her apartment and called for the elevator at the hall. While she was waiting, Serafina saw another figure approaching the elevator hall from the west wing - the mousy figure of Kazuko Saotome. Serafina flashed the teacher a bright smile and waved to her, but Saotome just stood there in disbelief as her glasses slipped down the bridge of her nose. The awestruck teacher adjusted her glasses then asked,

"L-Larivenko-san?"

" _Da, tovarisch_! Good morning!"

Saotome sheepishly lowered her head as she stuttered,

"G-good morning to you too, Larivenko-san. I-I-I almost didn't recognize you."

"Come on now,  _tovarisch_. We literally met just hours ago~!"

"I know - but there's a different air about you now."

"Ehehe, you think so? Well, I  _did_  just have my breakfast and I got to watch the sunrise too so I'm feeling pumped. Plus - I'm going to see Junko- _tovarisch_  and Audrey- _tovarisch_  at work today too."

"Eh? You work weekends too?"

"Sadly, sometimes we do - but that's life,  _tovarisch_. We make do with the cards we're dealt. I usually go to work early to catch a little shut-eye in my van before my shift starts."

"Gosh, is that so?"

As they were talking, the elevator doors opened and the two of them stepped inside. They then rode the rickety elevator down to the ground floor and parted ways again in the lobby. The dolled-up Serafina climbed into the elevated cab of her delivery van, put on her driving gloves again and then set a course on her navigation for the headquarters of Elysian Fashion Asia in Mitakihara's Ninth District.

Serafina took the southbound expressway this time and crossed a bridge over the Mitakihara River on her way to the Ninth District on the east bank. The tall office buildings and the lofty facade of the Mitakihara Police Department headquarters greeted Serafina as soon as she crossed the bridge and exited into the posh avenues of the Ninth District. There were still only a few cars on the road that morning, so it was a pleasant Sunday morning drive in every sense of the word. The fact that Serafina was driving to work that morning, however, still weighed down on the Ukrainian.

The Ukrainian shook her head and then continued on until she reached the shortest glass tower in the district - the twelve-story Elysian Fashion Asia headquarters. She drove her van into the basement parking lot and then parked in one of the three slots reserved for her and her team near the elevators. Serafina turned off the engine, opened up the windows and then reclined her seat as far back as she could.

Serafina then closed her eyes and let herself drift to sleep.

* * *

**Fifty-fifth Act, Third Movement - Orphans Of The Romashka**

Whenever Serafina slept, she often found herself wandering to one place - the ancient yet refined halls of the  _Romashka_  building that she had described to her friends many times before. Her memory of the place was so strong that she remembered every detail of it - the warm colors of the bricks, the rich maroon curtains that hung from the windows, the sound of the Volga river flowing beside it, the bite of the cold winds from Siberia blowing in as early as late summer and the orphans who called the  _Romashka_  their home.

As soon as Serafina sauntered into those halls, she was greeted by those orphans who flocked to her with bright smiles on their lips. Serafina would then proceed to bring out the gifts that she had brought for them - boxes of Turkish delights, tins of African dates, exotic fruit preserves from the Caribbean and cans of American soda. The Ukrainian would hide the gifts beneath her traveling cloak and bring them out like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat and the orphans would cheer for her every time!

Serafina then saw the eldest girl of the  _Romashka_  - a tall nineteen year old girl with snow white hair, bright blue eyes and the figure and poise of a ballerina - hanging back away from the crowds while smiling for Serafina all the same. The Ukrainian would then excuse herself from the crowd and then ford the river of children gathered around her as she made her way to that girl.

Serafina and the white-haired girl greeted each other with kisses to the cheeks. Then the Ukrainian would pull another gift from her cloak for the white-haired girl - a vinyl record of popular American big band music. The white-haired girl then gladly accepted the record and beamed at Serafina as she said,

" _Dobro pozhalovat' domoy, Serafina-dynya_."

Waves of emotion swept through Serafina's heart and she hugged the white-haired girl tightly. Serafina was happy to see her and she wanted to reply. However, she suddenly realized that she didn't remember the girl's name.

That realization settled in her mind and Serafina's heart skipped a beat. Usually, Serafina's dreams ended before she even thought about things like that. Her dream that Sunday morning, however, was continuing. Serafina started to see things that she had never seen before and her head started to ache. Her vision grew hazy as an ominous feeling took hold of her, murdering the euphoria she felt from seeing her home.

The walls of the  _Romashka_  then suddenly shook and thick, black smoke filled the halls. The river of children that had gathered to see Serafina was shrouded by the smoke and then disappeared behind it. The white-haired girl then returned Serafina's embrace, albeit weakly, as she ruefully whispered,

"I'm glad I got to see you… one more time,  _Serafina-dynya_."

The pain in Serafina's head started to throb and her heart suddenly ached, whisking her away from the smoke-swept halls of the  _Romashka_.

Serafina then came to and she found herself back in the cab of her delivery van in Mitakihara. Tears were forming at the sides of her eyes and a deep, dull and longing pain lingered in her heart. Serafina pulled out a handkerchief then wiped the tears as she moaned,

" _Oy blin…_  what was that about?"

The Ukrainian took a deep breath but a frown remained on her lips. That was the first time that Serafina's dream turned as foul as it did. Serafina couldn't believe what she saw and heard. It all seemed so real to her after all - almost as if she had seen something like that before.

The dream made Serafina wonder when the last time she set foot in the Romashka was. The orphans she grew up with must have moved out already by then. The white-haired girl must have gone down her own path as well. That thought weighed down on Serafina's heart and the frown that lingered on her lips deepened.

As Serafina was lost in her thoughts, she noticed that there were quite a few cars pulling into the underground parking lot that Sunday. Had she not known any better, she might have thought that it was a weekday instead of a weekend.

A pair of familiar cars were among the unusual crowd that morning - an amber Ford Fiesta subcompact and a white Honda Grace sedan. They parked in the reserved spots beside Serafina's van and their owners, the ambitious accountant Audrey Burnham and the veteran saleswoman boss Junko Kaname, emerged from their vehicles.

Audrey and Junko waved to Serafina, but the Ukrainian was slow to react. Serafina realized her blunder and then awkwardly waved back to her teammates. Audrey, however, seemed to notice that Serafina was rather off that morning - as if the Ukrainian's mind was somewhere else. Serafina's eyes then met with Audrey's as the Ukrainian spat in a defensive tone,

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Audrey was shocked by her teammate's tone, but she recovered quickly and casually shrugged as she said,

"Nothing in particular."

* * *

**First Interlude**

Meanwhile, at the twelfth floor of the Elysian Fashion Asia headquarters, Vice President Yukinoshita was sitting on the executive chair of her posh and spacious corner office behind a handsome mahogany desk similar to the one in the office of the principal of the Mitakihara Junior High School. The elderly businesswoman was deep in thought and folded her arms pensively as she looked out the large window of her office.

From there, she could see the rooftop of the headquarters of the Mitakihara Police Department where the purple banner of the Nutcracker Witch flew at full mast.

As the VP was ruminating in her seat, a pair of executive assistants were rushing to and fro doing all sorts of things for the executive. One assistant was busy making tea while the other was busy sorting all sorts of documents in the office's various filing cabinets. The assistant rifling through the filing cabinets then came across three accordion envelopes - the personal data files of Junko Kaname, Audrey Burnham and Serafina Larivenko.

The second assistant closed the filing cabinet with her elbow and then brought the three envelopes over to VP Yukinoshita's desk while the first assistant brought the VP her cup of tea. The elderly businesswoman halfheartedly took the tea and the three envelopes and then dismissively shooed her assistants away with a wave of her hand. Once the assistants were gone, the VP took a sip of tea and then started opening the envelopes one after the other.

All three of the folders contained the basic information that the three women provided to the Human Resources department when they all transferred to the Mitakihara branch in March. Aside from those bureaucratic forms and documents, however, were other items that the Vice President had been keeping: the original, untampered passport of Junko Kaname from when she didn't transfer to the United States, the drab brown 1930's series, United States passport of Audrey Burnham issued in Manila and the dilapidated, 'basic' green Soviet Union passport issued in Stalingrad among other things.

VP Yukinoshita picked up Serafina's passport and then read through its pages stamped by immigrations offices of countless countries - many of which didn't exist after the Second World War. The elderly businesswoman then set down the three passports and then call the attention of her two assistants, saying,

"I want one of you to call Manuke the younger and tell her to arrange something for the plan we made with Warukuchi-sama last night."

She then tapped the three passports on her desk and said,

"The other one has to keep a close eye on these three. We have to see if they're up to something, noi."

* * *

**Fifty-sixth Act - Dreaming Of Dancing**

One door down the hall from the Vice President's posh corner office, the three members of the Kaname Team were gathered in their humble, twenty square meter office. Hardly an hour into their weekend workday, piles of paperwork from the office of the Board of Directors, the auditors, compliance officers and a myriad of other bureaucratic-sounding offices that made even Junko Kaname scratch her head were suddenly carted into their office by the building's mail clerks.

Papers piled up on Junko Kaname's plain, rosewood desk and on the cheap, treated pine desk that Audrey and Serafina shared. All the while, the occupants of the two desks watched stupefied as the papers rose up and nearly touched the formless screens of their company-issued, bottom-of-the-line desktop computers. It made the three women wonder what happened to Elysian Fashion Asia's commitment to go paperless.

Once the papers were all stacked up, the mail clerks left the cramped office and left the Kaname Team alone with their new, unwelcome workload. Junko Kaname heaved a sigh but then clapped her hands twice as she called her two teammates' attentions,

"Alright then ladies. It seems that the rumors I heard about more work turned out to be much worse than anyone thought. That must be why everyone from VP Yukinoshita down to our damn mail clerks are here - it's all hands on deck. But that's not going to stop us from getting this stuff done. So let's work our asses off and win our weekend back!"

Audrey cheerfully concurred and raised up an eager fist to the air. Serafina, on the other hand, was slow to react again and her lack of enthusiasm stuck out like a sore thumb in the usually bubbly team. The Ukrainian had been out of it since the American saw her sleeping in the parking lot that morning and she also looked rather tired. In all honesty, Audrey was worried about Serafina but the stack of paperwork sitting before her demanded her attention first.

Every so often however, as Audrey was going through and signing off on the paperwork, she stole sidelong glances at Serafina. The Ukrainian was working - or at least was trying her hardest to work - but the purposeful twinkle in Serafina's eyes weren't there. Serafina looked like someone whose mind was far, far away.

In spite of that, the ladies of the Kaname Team managed to chip away at their stacks of paper as the digital clocks on their WristComms inched closer to noon. Papers passed from Audrey to Serafina then finally to Junko for their signatures in an assembly line of clerical work that wouldn't have been too out of place in one of the factories near Serafina's tenement. However, when the papers reached Junko, the veteran saleswoman noticed a number of glaring mistakes that came from Serafina's share of the work.

Serafina's portion had checkboxes that were left unchecked, details that were put into the wrong boxes and whole pages that were skipped over entirely. There were even some spaces where the Ukrainian wrote in Cyrillic letters instead of Japanese script which, while beautiful to look at, was something that Junko couldn't even start to read.

After a dozen or so mistake-laden forms, the team leader turned to Serafina but the Ukrainian didn't seem to notice her at all. Instead, Junko's eyes met with Audrey's and the team leader nodded to the American, leaving Serafina in her hands.

With that signal, Audrey reached over to her deskmate and tapped her on the shoulder which gave Serafina a start. Audrey immediately pulled her hand back and suddenly forgot what she was going to say to the Ukrainian.

Serafina's frowning lips crumpled and the Ukrainian's posture degraded into a sheepish slouch. There was definitely something going on with Serafina and Audrey was determined to find out. The American closed her eyes as she tried to come up with some sort of plan. Then, her eyes brightened up and she wore a crafty smile.

Audrey took a deep breath and then rose up from her seat as she turned to her boss and said,

"Excuse me boss - is it alright if Serafina and I have an early lunch?"

Serafina blinked and then turned to the standing American and asked,

"... what? We've got so much to…"

The American, however, took Serafina's complaints in stride then laid her hand on the Ukrainian's shoulder, rocking her to the left and right as she continued,

"It'll be just downstairs at the building's cafeteria. They've got burger specials on the weekends, boss!"

Junko Kaname chuckled at the scene of the excited Audrey and the lost Serafina and she smiled as she said,

"That sounds like a good idea, Audrey. I'll catch up with you two in a bit after I pass our good forms by the mail room - but could you get me a burger too? Whatever's good! I'll pay you back~!"

Audrey gave Junko a salute and eagerly said,

"Roger that!"

The American then took Serafina by the hand and pulled her up from her seat,

"Let's get going then, Serafina. Lunch break~!"

With that, the American crossed the halls of the twelfth floor of Elysian Fashion with Serafina in tow. The two of them then entered the glass-walled elevators at the end of the hall and Audrey called for the sixth floor. The elevator doors then closed and it was only then that it dawned upon her that she was no longer at her work desk and that she was going to have lunch at just half past eleven.

Ever since Serafina arrived at Mitakihara, she had always anchored herself to a rigid schedule in spite of being a self-proclaimed nomad. She had lunch at half past one without fail and left work at half past six without fail. That morning, Audrey Burnham was singlehandedly tearing that rigid schedule apart with an earnest smile on her lips while holding the Ukrainian's hand.

Finally aware that she was away from her desk, Serafina managed to raise her head and look up to the 180-degree panorama of Mitakihara's posh Ninth District from the transparent elevator walls. The elevator doors then opened at the sixth floor landing and the American led the Ukrainian along again into the their building's large, circular cafeteria.

Audrey sat Serafina down at a windowside table and the American went over to the cafeteria counters at the middle of the room to place her orders. Audrey returned a little while later with a large tray filled with three burgers, three large sodas and a plate of french fries and and an air of excitement that was borderline childish.

The American set the food and drinks down on the table before Serafina and the smell of the food roused the Ukrainian's senses, making her stomach grumble. Until then, she didn't realize just how hungry she was. The Ukrainian then suddenly realized,

"M-money… How much do I owe you…?"

Just as Serafina was about to reach for her wallet, the American laid a hand on her shoulder and then smiled,

"This one's on me, so take it easy alright?"

Serafina hesitantly put her wallet back into her handbag and then sheepishly nodded as she said,

"T-thank you,  _tovarisch_."

Audrey then sat down in the seat opposite to Serafina and the two of them picked up their burgers and started to eat. As soon as Serafina took a bite, a delightful sensation swept over her palate. Before she knew it, there was a smile on her lips. The American seated across the table smiled back at her coworker and said,

"Deviled egg burgers done just right. It's good, isn't it?"

Serafina nodded and eagerly munched on the gourmet burger with the gusto of a young girl who had just discovered a new favorite food. All the while, Audrey nibbled on some french fries and smiled as she watched her coworker eat.

Once again, Serafina noticed Audrey's light brown eyes fixed on her. The attention she was getting from Audrey that morning made her feel embarrassed as she asked,

"W-why are you looking at me like that?"

Audrey chuckled and then pointed to her own cheek as she pleasantly said,

"Mustard."

Serafina blushed and then promptly scrambled for a napkin to wipe her cheek and hide her face. As she did so, she realized that that was the second time that day that she asked Audrey that irritable question. The Ukrainian set down her burger and then faced Audrey with an apologetic expression,

"I'm sorry if I was acting up earlier at the parking lot and at the office, Audrey. I had a lot on my mind and it was getting to me. I'm feeling a lot better now, though, so thanks for being patient with me."

Audrey took a sip of her soda and then rested her cheek on her hand as she said,

"No problem, buddy. I had a feeling that something was up. I'm just glad you're doing better, but I can listen to you if you want."

Serafina took a deep breath and then took up Audrey on her offer. In between bites of her burger or nibbles of the fries, the Ukrainian recounted her ties to the orphans of the Romashka in Volgograd, Russia and about her situation - the same story that she told the teacher Saotome just before midnight last night. This time, however, Serafina also recounted the strange dream that she had while she was sleeping in her van in the parking lot that morning,

"It was kinda scary,  _tovarisch_. Thick black smoke filled the halls and the children all disappeared. Then my dear friend in the Romashka clung onto me and said that she was ' _happy to see me one last time'_. It shook me to the core… if something happened to them, then I wouldn't know what to do."

A moment of silence followed the Ukrainian's long-winded tale and the dejected Serafina wistfully sipped her soda. Audrey hummed as she took in Serafina's story and then asked,

"Have you sent them an email? To the orphanage, that is. They should be able to tell you if anything bad happened and they might help you get in contact with that friend of yours too."

Serafina's jaw then suddenly dropped in disbelief and laid her hand on her forehead when she said,

" _Oy blin…_  I forgot I could do that! I'll send them an email right now - is that alright,  _tovarisch_?"

"Go right ahead, Serafina! Just don't wait for the food to get cold."

Serafina nodded and then promptly brought out her WristComm to draft a short email to the  _Romashkha_. Once she finished, she sent the email and then heaved a sigh of relief. The American wore a reassuring smile for the Ukrainian as she said,

"You're feeling homesick, Serafina. That's what I see."

"Me? Homesick?"

"Yeah! Totally!"

The American's smile then mellowed as she said,

"I left my hometown many years ago too, so I know exactly what you're going through. Sometimes, I think that if I've been gone long enough then things would get easier for me to bear. On most days, it does. But when my thoughts wander, I still think about my family in New York. I hate them, but at the same time, I don't - you know. At least the people you left behind are people you definitely love… and people who love you back."

Audrey leaned back into her seat and looked out the glass walls of the cafeteria and up to the cloudy blue sky as she said,

"Though when I think about it, leaving someone hurts more when you actually care about them. They're  _still_  family after all."

"Yeah,  _tovarisch_. The girls of that orphanage were like a family to me - the only one i've ever known. I want to visit the  _Romashka_  sometime when I get my vacation leaves approved… and when our workload finally starts calming down. I've been away for way too long. I want to see everyone's faces… I'll bring them some souvenirs too."

The Ukrainian then wore a shy smile as she said,

"To tell you the truth… another thing I miss about the  _Romashka_  was dancing. Ballroom dancing. The orphans of the  _Romashka_  all dreamed of becoming dancers after all… and I was no exception. And all of us learned how to dance from that white-haired girl I was telling you about - the Swan of the Volga herself!"

Audrey tilted her head and wore a surprised expression. The American never thought that Serafina was the dancing type - what with her large frame and the boyish way she brought herself about. After all, the Ukrainian was practically 'one of the boys' and fit right in with the rancorous banter of the truck drivers of Elysian Fashion Asia. Serafina noticed the surprise in the American's eyes, so she pouted and said,

"It's true,  _tovarisch!_  I'm actually a decent dancer! I've danced in competitions in Russia before when I was younger and I taught some of the other orphans too. I did their make-up, designed their clothes and even helped plan their choreographies too!"

As Serafina was saying this, Junko Kaname finally joined the two of them at the table. The boss of the American and the Ukrainian wore a bright smile as she said,

"Ohoho, what's this I hear about dancing?"

Serafina was surprised and embarrassed by her boss' sudden appearance. The Ukrainian quickly found herself stuttering before she could say a word. Junko chuckled but then wore an earnest smile as she asked,

"Serafina - was all of that true? Are you really a ballroom dancer? I remember you talking about dance a lot back when we were in the states, but I didn't know if you were a dancer yourself!"

The Ukrainian was stunned for a moment but she then managed to reply with a sheepish nod. This was enough of an answer for Junko whose smile grew brighter as she said,

"Alright then - I've got a bit of a surprise for you, Serafina! I have a feeling you'll like it."

Serafina blinked and then curiously asked,

"A… surprise? What sort of surprise?"

Junko snickered in reply and said, "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now, would it? Just look forward to it, okay?"

The Japanese team leader then put a hand on her hips as she said,

"Also, Serafina, would you be free to drive Madoka and her friends to our house tomorrow after work? Audrey can go with you too."

The American and the Ukrainian then turned to each other and wondered just what Junko was planning.

* * *

**Fifty-seventh Act, First Movement - Mamma Mia!**

_June 7, 2088 - Monday_

The rest of Serafina's weekend workday moved along like a blur as she went through her duties like a dance routine in a competition. She left work at 4:00PM as always in her delivery van, slept in her Second District apartment unit the evening, did her past-midnight deliveries until the sunrise and then worked again in Elysian Fashion on schedule. Before Serafina realized it, it was already 4:00PM on Monday and she was riding the Elysian Fashion building elevator from the twelfth floor down to the basement parking.

That afternoon, however, Serafina had the keys of the Kaname family's beloved Honda Grace and she was accompanied by the American who still didn't believe that she was a dancer. As the crowded elevator descended down into the basement, Serafina cast a probing glare at Audrey as she asked in English,

"Could you tell me again why you're tagging along,  _tovarisch_?"

Audrey chuckled and replied in kind,

"Because I'm your tow-va-reach, Serafina. That means 'friend', right? And true friends are always there for each other!"

"You just want to see what the boss' surprise for me is, don't you? Also,  _tovarisch_  means 'comrade', but close enough…"

"Ehehehe, I ain't saying anything!"

The American and the Ukrainian soon reached the basement and then made their way to the Kaname family car. Serafina took the wheel and Audrey sat at the passenger's seat and they rode out of the basement parking lot then into the Ninth District expressway.

As usual, the expressways were clogged in every direction as always as people scrambled to get home to avoid the early evening rush. It was the very reason why Serafina left work at half past six instead of at four in the afternoon. However, the overpass to the Eighth District - their destination - seemed hardly congested and was moving along rather quickly.

Serafina heaved a sigh of relief and was about to reach for the dashboard to play some music when she saw that Audrey was already fiddling with the interface. The American then discovered Junko's extensive collection of ABBA music and was surprised by her boss' taste. Audrey snickered mischievously, rubbed her hands together and then chose to play  _Dancing Queen_  while smirking at Serafina and singing along,

" _You can dance! You can jive~! Havin' the time of your life! Ooooh, see that girl - watch that scene. Diggin' the Dancing Queen!_ "

Serafina pouted but held her tongue as she drove down the expressway overpass to the Eighth District. In all honesty, though, she didn't mind the music and quietly hummed to the few tunes of the band that she knew. A couple of ABBA songs later, Audrey and Serafina finally reached the avenue leading into the driveway of the prestigious Mitakihara Junior High School.

The Ukrainian brought the Honda Grace into the driveway that passed by the rear entrance of the school. Madoka Kaname was standing at the school gates and turned around when she heard the familiar hum of the Grace. The pink-haired girl beamed then at Audrey and Serafina and then waved to them as they approached. Serafina lowered the windows and she and the American waved back.

When Madoka turned around, the three girls who were keeping her company turned around as well. All four of them were wearing their school uniforms and had their rectangular school bags but also had sports bags with them. The four girls walked towards the Honda Grace together and, once they were within earshot, Madoka called out and said,

"Auntie Audrey! Auntie Serafina! You guys got here quick today!"

Serafina smiled and replied,

"There was no traffic on the overpass at all."

The pink-haired girl then chuckled,

"Is that so? How lucky~!"

Madoka then looked back to her companions and said,

"These are the friends who're coming back to my house - you know them already don't you? There's Michi-chan, Erisu-senpai and Homura-chan."

Michi, Elise and Homura then gave Audrey and Serafina thankful bows and the two adults nodded to the children. Serafina opened the trunk of the sedan and then helped the girls load their bags. Madoka and her schoolmates all then squeezed into the back of the sedan and the Ukrainian got back on the wheel. Serafina then brought the car out of the parking lot and back into the avenue towards the suburbs of the Seventh District.

While Serafina was driving, she stole glances at the Madoka and her friends in the rear-view mirror and asked,

"You guys are bringing a lot of stuff today. What's the occasion?"

Madoka smiled back at Serafina in the mirror and said,

"Auntie Serafina, we're going to have our Sports Day in two weeks. We just signed up for our events today! Homura-chan, Michi-chan, Erisu-senpai and I are part of the 'purple team' while some of our friends are on the 'blue team' and the 'red team', so we'll be competing against each other. It's kinda exciting, but we want to do our best. That's why the four of us are going to practice our events as much as we can!"

The pink-haired girl then joined her hands together as she pleasantly continued,

"The four of us are going to be in the big relay race together in the same heat and we'll be in the tug of war together too. Homura-chan's going to be our ace for the sprints and the track-and-field contests. Michi-chan and Erisu-senpai are our bets for the martial arts events."

Madoka's eyes then seemed to shine as she finally said,

"The event I'm most excited about, though, is the ballroom dancing competition!"

Serafina hummed with passing interest at first but, after a moment of thought, the Ukrainian gasped,

"B-ballroom dancing!?"

Madoka nodded eagerly then took Homura's hand and brought it up to the mirror for Serafina to see,

"Homura-chan's going to be my partner!"

The song in the sound system changed to ABBA's ' _Thank You For The Music_ ' and Serafina took another good look at Madoka and at Homura in the rear view mirror. She observed the build and the posture of Madoka's dark-haired partner and then hummed in approval. The Ukrainian then brought her eyes back to the road before her as she happily said,

"I think the two of you will do great. I'm not sure if you know, but Madoka-chan is a wonderful dancer, Akemi-san. You should have seen her dancing when she was still in the United States with me and Audrey- _tovarisch_. Madoka-chan danced with so much grace and poise that you wouldn't have thought she was just a fifteen year-old girl! My gosh, it was divine!"

Homura took a moment to choose her words as she replied,

"I've already seen Madoka dance - and you're right. She is divine. That's why everyone in the purple team is counting on her to lead us to victory. I'll be the one who will have to catch up to Madoka so that I can be worthy of being her partner."

Madoka squeezed Homura's hands and said,

"Homura-chan's a pretty good dancer too! With a little bit of practice, I'm sure we will do well! After all, Auntie Serafina will be instructing us! Mama told me you already agreed."

Serafina's jaw dropped when she heard this and only managed a gasp of disbelief,

"... eh?"

* * *

**Fifty-seventh Act, Second Movement - In The Mood**

Half an hour later, Serafina found herself at the large village park outside of the Kaname Residence in the suburban Seventh District of Mitakihara. The Ukrainian, wearing the chauffeur's blazer with her work slacks and her loafers stood awkwardly in the park like a Siberian pine tree in the tropics. Her two new students, Madoka and Homura, were standing before her and were wearing their school tracksuits and their comfortable sneakers.

Michi and Elise sat together with Audrey under the shade of a tall paulownia tree as the American set up a small, battery-powered speaker for music. Audrey synced the speaker with her WristComm device and then gave Serafina a thumbs-up. The Ukrainian, however, was still in a daze and didn't know exactly where to start.

The Ukrainian was well-versed in doing make-up for dancers, designing clothes for them and making choreographies but this was the first time she found herself actually having to  _teach_  other people. Having actual students made her heart flutter and she felt herself sweating bullets. The thought of disappointing Madoka and Junko weighed down heavily on her, but imagining a smug Audrey watching her every move irritated her much more.

Serafina scratched the back of her head and then said,

"S-so… uh, what kind of competition is it going to be?"

Madoka thoughtfully rubbed her chin and said,

"I think the competition's going to be just two heats. It's just an amateur competition after all, so it's not going to be too grand. The first heat will be a group Latin dance with all the couples together on the floor at once. They're using Glenn Miller's ' _In The Mood_ ' for the song too, I heard."

The Ukrainian heaved a sigh,

"A Latin group stage with that song, huh? That'll definitely be a jive then. What about the second heat?"

Madoka beamed at Serafina and then continued with a fond tone,

"The second heat's gonna be Waltz solos, so there'll be only one couple on the floor at a time. We get to pick our music too, so it'll be really interesting, don't you think?"

"Y-yeah…"

In Serafina's mind, however, she just realized how much work she was going to have to do. Thankfully, Madoka already was a seasoned dancer and her partner seemed to be a good match - at least in terms of height. Thus, the Ukrainian sighed again and then gave her thoughts frankly,

"I can help the two of you with your make-up and I think I can make good dancing clothes for you as well. As for the choreography… I can make one for you too, but I'm not exactly much of a teacher. I was always more of a learn-by-doing sort of person, so the best I can do is to show you how to do the routine. But I'll need a…"

Serafina's eyes wandered over to where Audrey was seated. Suddenly, the Ukrainian wore a crafty grin as she rubbed her hands together and said,

"I'll have to borrow Audrey here and make her my practice partner."

Audrey's smug expression dissolved instantly, replaced by a look of aghast. Madoka, on the other hand, seemed delighted by the idea as she said,

"Oh! That'll be really nice! Come on Auntie Audrey, join us!"

Madoka then sauntered over to Audrey and reached out to her while wearing a bright smile. That was unfair, the American thought. She couldn't say no to the pink-haired girl's divine smile - and Serafina knew it. Thus, Audrey took Madoka's hand and the pink-haired girl turned to Michi and said,

"I'll leave you in charge of the music then."

Michi took over the speaker and then played Glenn Miller's  _In The Mood_  on loop while Madoka brought Audrey over to the waiting Serafina. Audrey's brow furrowed when she found herself standing face to face with Serafina in the middle of the park. The Ukrainian, on the other hand, was smiling earnestly and was already rhythmically tapping her loafers to the tune of the renowned big band tune.

Homura and Madoka took up their places beside the two office ladies and waited for the two of them to get started. The Ukrainian then turned to Audrey and then to her students as she said,

"I'll make up a routine on the go in chunks, so watch us for a bit then try and follow what Audrey- _tovarisch_  and I will do okay? I'll be the leader for Audrey and Akemi-san will be the leader for Madoka- _dynya_."

With that, the Ukrainian ran down some of the basic concepts of dancing - about the roles of leaders and followers, good posture, listening to the music and how to navigate the dancefloor to get the judges' attention. Once she finished, she then took Audrey's right hand with her left and then skillfully placed her right hand on the American's shoulder blade.

Audrey was surprised at first, but the Ukrainian gently guided her into a proper dancing hold. The big band music started from the top again and filled Audrey's mind and she felt its rhythm take hold of her. Joined together in a firm hold, Audrey's eyes met with Serafina's and the American had a moment of clarity. Somehow, she could understand what the Ukrainian was thinking even though she hasn't said a word.

Serafina started her impromptu routine with some simple jive moves and Audrey followed as best as she could. The American's attempts were clumsy at first but she quickly got into the Ukrainian's rhythm. Audrey felt when Serafina wanted to move to the left or to the right and when she wanted to move back and forth.

It was at that point that she realized just how good of a dancer the Ukrainian was. After all, Serafina knew how to get an amateur like Audrey to dance and guided her with a precision that seemed unreal to the American.

Audrey felt as if she had been swept along by a river headed out to sea. Then, before she knew it, the Ukrainian twirled her around and time seemed to slow down around them. As Audrey turned around, she saw the invigorated smile on Serafina's face. In Audrey's eyes, Serafina looked as if she had been reborn right there on their grassy dance floor.

Time came rushing back to normal and the American was pulled back in by a gentle tug by the Ukrainian into their hold. There, Audrey saw Serafina's bright smile first hand so she couldn't help but smile back. Serafina was back to her old self, Audrey thought.

To her, it was a magnificent sight.

* * *

**Fifty-seventh Act, Third Movement - Don't You Want To Dance Too?**

From beneath the shade of the paulownia tree in the village park, Michi and Elise sat together as they watched Audrey and Serafina dancing together with Madoka and Homura. The two couples jived on the grassy dance floor, laughing and smiling as they let Glenn Miller's music sweep over them.

Elise crossed her arms and leaned back against the trunk of the paulownia as she said,

"They seem to be having fun. Come competition time, I'm sure that they'll be able to polish their routine to a sheen. If Serafina's the one instructing them, then the Waltz solos should be a piece of cake for them as well."

Michi nodded and smiled as she followed Madoka and Homura dancing through the trimmed grass,

"I believe so too, Elise. Homura-san and Madoka-san seem to be a great match after all. Look at the two of them go!"

Elise skeptically watched as Madoka twirled around gracefully while wearing a wonderful smile but found herself unable to disagree with Michi about that. Homura's height was perfect and her posture and poise when dancing as the leader brought out Madoka's beauty in a way that she could only describe as divine. Still, the French girl turned to Michi and said,

"I can see what you mean, but why did you want to bring me here. Neither of us are competing in the ballroom dance after all and I don't think we'll need any more practice for our martial arts events. We hunt Wraiths almost every night now after all."

Michi kept her eyes on the dancing couples as she said,

"I wanted you to come with me because there were some things that I wanted you to see, Elise. This is the first time that you have seen Audrey and Serafina since you regained your memories, right? Well - I wanted you to see that the two of them are doing alright and that Homura-san and I are watching over them."

Elise chuckled as she thought out loud,

"Now the two of them are young office ladies who don't act their age. Though technically, the two of us are older than them."

Michi shook her head and spoke fondly,

"It's not just age. The two of them have always been youthful - more youthful than the two of us at least. It is that youthfulness that gave them the potential to become Puella Magi many years ago, I believe. Even if the two of them never became Puella Magi, they would still be as youthful as you see now."

The Hokkaido native then tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear as she said,

"The same is true for the Goddess Madoka. Look at her having the time of her life while preparing for an amateur dance competition for Sports Day. The Goddess always did her best to smile when she was still with us in the Silver Garden but I could tell that she was having a hard time keeping that smile together. The smile that she is wearing here and now, though, is earnest and brighter than anything I have ever seen from the Goddess before."

Elise turned to Madoka again and, just as Michi said, the sleeping Goddess was wearing a divine smile - the kind of smile someone would have when they're in the middle of a wonderful dream. Before Elise could say anything, Michi's eyes followed Homura this time as she continued,

"Also, Elise, I wanted you to take a good look at Homura-san and I want you to see her smile too."

The French girl had her reservations, but she obliged before long and saw the time-traveler mirroring the brightness of Madoka's smile. The distant and cunning aura that Homura Akemi always had about her mellowed ever so slightly and was now mixed with shades of earnest joy. It was a sight that Elise never would have expected to see from the Devil herself. Elise then turned to Michi and asked,

"Just how did you get Akemi-san to smile like that, Michi?"

"Hmm… in all honesty, I did not have to do much. I was just there when Homura-san needed me to be there for her. I listened to her when she needed someone to talk to. It is just like how Serafina is teaching Audrey how to dance. Serafina is merely guiding Audrey right now and that's what is awakening Audrey's dancing spirit - something that she didn't know she had. It's hard to explain since I can't exactly get into details, but I'm helping Homura-san remember how to smile and that has done wonders for her."

Michi then also leaned against the trunk of the paulownia tree and then said,

"When I look at Madoka-senpai and Homura-san dancing here in the park, I do not see the Goddess of the Silver Garden and the Devil of the New World. All I see are Madoka-senpai and Homura-san - two middle school girls sharing a wonderful dance in a pleasant park. And yet, at the same time, I can still tell that the fate of the universe is resting on their shoulders. The both of them are mundane and the both of them are divine."

Elise thoughtfully hummed then raised her eyes up to the orange, late afternoon sky as she said,

"If the fate of the world really is hanging in the balance, then are you just fine watching from the sidelines like this? The dance for this fate is happening right now before our very eyes, so wouldn't you want to be on the dance floor to change the outcome too?"

"I've already done that, Elise. That's why I'm throwing my weight behind Homura-san. I'm keeping her in check and I'm watching over the Goddess Madoka too. From where I am now, I…"

Elise suddenly interrupted the Hokkaido native and then turned to to her as she asked with a tone of conviction,

"That's not what I mean, Michi. I know for a fact that you are still loyal to the Goddess Madoka and I can see that there is something about Akemi-san that has earned your trust… but I want to know what  _you_  really think. If you also had to dance on the dancefloor, what would you do?"

"I honestly wouldn't know, Elise. That's beyond me, after all. It's not up to me to decide how the universe should be."

Elise then reached out to Michi and laid a hand on her shoulder as she asked with a swell of emotion as she said,

"But don't you want to dance too? You want to change the fate of the universe too, don't you? Please - be honest with me."

A frown formed on Michi's lips as she brought her hands to her heart as she replied,

"Of course I do, Elise. More than anything. I want this dream to end. Then, when I wake up, I want to see the world become better off than what we have now. That is what I have always wanted. Centuries have passed, but that desire of mine has not changed."

As soon as Michi said this, the French girl stood up and then offered her hand to the Hokkaido native as she said,

"Then dance with me. Let me help you change the fate of the universe too. You have already taken up my cause twice - now it's time for me to take up yours."

Michi looked up to Elise from where she sat and their eyes met in a moment of clarity. A warm smile then grew on Michi's lips as she said,

"If it's you… then I'd be more than happy to."

The Hokkaido native then took the French girl's hand and let herself be lifted up from the grass.

* * *

**Epilogue**

_June 19, 2088 - Saturday_

It was the eve of the Sports Day events when Serafina Larivenko met Kazuko Saotome again in their tenement. This time, the teacher was the one who bought drinks for the two of them - a can of blueberry juice for herself and a can of milk coffee for the Ukrainian. The two of them sat together in the lobby and they shared a toast with their cans. They opened their cans and took big gulps of their drinks until the teacher gave off a refreshed sigh. Saotome then turned to Serafina and said,

"You've done good work with Madoka-chan and Akemi-san for the ballroom dancing competition at Sports Day tomorrow. I saw them at practice today and it was hard to believe that they only had two weeks to prepare that dance! They were just in their track suits at practice, but Junko told me that you made some interesting clothes for them to wear tomorrow!"

Serafina then showed Saotome her hands and some of the sticking plasters that covered them as she said,

"I just tailored some of the boss'... i'm mean Junko- _tovarisch_ 's old clothes. There were some slip-ups here and there, but I think I did a pretty good job! Wanna see?"

"Is it alright?"

The Ukrainian nodded and then brought up her WristComm to the level of her eyes. Serafina tapped the face of her device and produced a formless screen filled with pictures. They were from a photoshoot at the Kaname Residence where the two sophomores were dressed up in their dance attire. Homura was wearing a sharp, ladies' tuxedo with a silken purple cravat while Madoka wore a white gown with golden embroidery a puffy bottom that would have passed for a ballerina's tutu.

The teacher's eyes lit up with amazement as she swiped through the photos but a bittersweet smile formed on her lips as she muttered,

"So Junko still kept those ones, huh?"

"What was that,  _tovarisch_?"

"N-nothing! I… was just thinking that Madoka-chan and Akemi-san look really cute here. I can't wait to see them tomorrow!"

"Ehehe, same here. The ballroom dance competition is still in the afternoon, right?"

"Yup! It'll be at 3PM sharp at the auditorium, Serafina-san."

"That's just fifteen hours from now - can you believe it?

The teacher chuckled and then stood up as she finished up her blueberry juice. She then turned to Serafina and said,

"I need to get going now. I'm moderating most of the events of the Sports Day too - not just the ballroom dance - so I'll need to get some sleep."

"Likewise,  _tovarisch_. My midnight shift's about to start too. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then - or rather, see you later!"

"See you later, Serafina-san, and take care!"

The teacher then called for an elevator and Serafina brought her half-finished coffee with her to her delivery van as always. She hopped into the cab and turned on the engine just as the clock struck twelve midnight.

…

_June 20, 2088 - Sunday_

The interface on the dashboard of Serafina's van then started up and displayed the Ukrainian's itinerary for the evening. Serafina took another sip of her coffee and then tapped on the interface to bring up the music list. She swiped through the selections and then chose Tchaikovsky's ' _Waltz of the Flowers_ ' - the song that Madoka and Homura chose for their solo Waltz heat.

With that, Serafina started her shift and drove around to make deliveries around the Second District. The hours flew by and the sun started to rise in the horizon as the Ukrainian drove down the bayside expressway to Kasamino for the last leg of her shift - the Kasamino Fleet Activities naval base.

Serafina drove her delivery van up to the front gate of the naval base when she noticed that there were much more military policemen stationed there than usual - a whole platoon's worth - and all of them were in full battle dress and were armed with their service rifles as well. There were barbed wire fences and sandbag barricades flanking the road to the gate fitted with heavy machinegun emplacements and a pair of Humvees with 25mm chain guns on standby.

As Serafina's van approached the front gate, some of the military policemen ordered the Ukrainian to stop and to get out of her vehicle. Even though the military policemen were the same ones she had been dealing with for the past few months, this was the first time that she was stopped outright like that. Serafina obliged and did as the military policemen told her.

One of the female MPs she knew well then came up to Serafina and asked her to show her delivery manifestos and her job order codes. Serafina brought up her WristComm device and showed the female MP the documentation she asked to see. As she did so, another team of MPs thoroughly inspected every nook and cranny her delivery van. The female MP read through the manifestos line by line and confirmed them and the inspection team gave the 'all clear' signal. Serafina heaved a sigh of relief and was about to get back into her van when the female MP stopped her again and said,

"I still have to pat you down,  _noi_. We have to be sure."

Serafina stopped again and then let the female MP pat her down. The Ukrainian then asked,

"Hey. What in the world is going on here? This is the first time you guys have ever been this strict. You didn't have this sort of setup  _yesterday_."

"That's classified information, Larivenko-san. We're just following our orders, _noi_. Please spread out your arms."

Serafina followed the MP's instruction again and asked,

"I can still have breakfast at the mess hall today after I'm done with my shift,  _da_?"

"Of course, Larivenko-san. You're still welcome to have breakfast with us at the base. Next, please take off your driving gloves show me your hands, noi."

"My hands?"

The MP nodded and then urged Serafina to take off her gloves. She then took a long, hard look at Serafina's large hands covered with sticking plasters and inspected every finger - especially her middle fingers. The Ukrainian raised her brow and asked,

"Why are you so fixated on my middle fingers?"

"That's classified information, Larivenko-san. Now then - before we let you into the base, we'd like to ask you some questions, noi."

Serafina heaved another sigh and then said,

"Go right ahead…"

"Have you recently seen small, white, ferret-like creatures with bright, red eyes lurking around?"

"What the… ferret-like creatures?"

"Please answer the question, noi."

The Ukrainian's brow furrowed as she said,

"I haven't seen anything like that. I don't even know what kind of creature you're talking about here."

"Good. Next - have you seen any small, glassy cubes that are the size of sugar lumps around town?"

"What in the world? No - I haven't seen anything like that at all."

"Okay - and finally. Have you seen or experienced anything out of the ordinary lately? Have you had recurring dreams or felt any ominous signs - anything out of this world."

It was at this time that Serafina remembered her dream of the  _Romashka_  building filling with thick black smoke. A chill ran up her spine, but she kept a straight face in front of the MP and said,

"None."

"Alright then, Larivenko-san. You're cleared to go. Welcome to the Kasamino Fleet Activities naval base, noi."

Serafina scratched the back of her head, wondering just what sort of questions those were. She then climbed back up into the cab of her delivery van as she felt the eyes of the military policemen and the machinegunners still fixed on her. The Ukrainian then entered the base and got to work moving boxes of rations between warehouses as usual.

At the end of her shift, she went straight to the mess hall again for breakfast and waited for the morning colors. The Ukrainian munched on a piece of toast as she waited for the familiar tunes of the  _Star Spangled Banner_  and  _Kimi ga Yo_  to wash away the aftertaste of the strange interrogation she had at the gates. However, the two national anthems didn't play that morning - nor did the flags of the United States and Japan rise up on the flagpoles. Only the Largo movement of Dvorak's 9th Symphony played that morning and three purple banners rose up on the seaside flagpoles, but the military policemen, marines and sailors saluted them all the same.

Further out into the bay, Serafina saw the three ships of the Mitakihara Squadron setting sail again for the morning. However, all three warships were loaded with their full complements of naval helicopters on their flight decks. Serafina even noticed the silhouette of a number of F-35J's embarked on the JDS Mitakihara as she wondered,

' _Wasn't that supposed to be a helicopter-carrying destroyer_?'

Serafina didn't bother to ask any of the military policemen in the mess hall about it. She already knew the answer she was going to get, after all.

The Ukrainian finished up her breakfast and then headed back home her Second District apartment to get some rest. The dance competition was still at 3PM in the afternoon, so Serafina figured that she could catch some shut-eye before then. Serafina took a shower, slipped into a comfortable t-shirt and was about to crawl into her bed when her WristComm suddenly buzzed.

Serafina tapped the face of her device and then brought out a message displayed on a formless screen. It was a message from the office of VP Yukinoshita herself. They were going to hold the internal audit that day and the VP wanted all hands on deck  _again_  at 1PM. The Ukrainian frowned, weakly slipped into her bed and then buried her face in her pillow as she moaned,

"When it rains, it pours…"

Thus, the Ukrainian checked the time on her WristComm and then set a timer for twelve noon. She then let herself drift into sleep while she still could.

...

Once again, Serafina wandered into the halls of the  _Romashka_. Serafina had seen that dream so many times before so she already felt as if she knew what was going to happen. She was greeted by the orphans and she gave them gifts from other countries. The white-haired girl of the  _Romashka_  - the self-proclaimed Swan of the Volga River - greeted her again with a smile. Then, thick black smoke would fill the halls.

Serafina then held onto the Swan of the Volga River who croaked with a bittersweet tone,

"I'm glad I got to see you one last time,  _Serafina-dynya_."

The Ukrainian calmed her heart and held the girl gently. Then words flowed out from Serafina's mouth on their own,

"Save your breath, Carissima Anastasia. I'm here now - tell me what happened."

This 'Carissima Anastasia' looked into Serafina's eyes as she said,

"The Incognitas… the black-shawled girls who have been murdering Puella Magi since the Manchukuo Incident… I know who's leading them now. You have to go to Manila - to the  _Edificio Gumamela_. Leave me here. Stalingrad is already lost."

When Carissima Anastasia said this, she dissolved into smoke and the scene around Serafina shifted. The Ukrainian was lying on the marble-tiled floor now of a room that she had never seen before, but she knew that it was the ' _Edificio Gumamela_ ' that the Carissima had told her about. There, she saw the two sophomores who danced with Madoka and Homura - Michi and Elise - squaring off against each other with weapons.

What in the world was going on? Serafina struggled to understand what she was seeing in her dream. The sights and the sounds of the scene were so vivid that it made Serafina wonder if she was still dreaming.

Serafina then watched helplessly as Michi thrust the blade of her polearm into Elise's ribs. The French girl fell on her back and died wallowing in a pool of her own blood. Michi then turned around to Serafina and said something that the Ukrainian couldn't seem to hear. The Hokkaido native then trained the bloody blade of her polearm at Serafina and looked as if she was preparing to strike again.

Why was Michi Hideyoshi trying to kill her? The Ukrainian tried to scramble back, but she couldn't seem to move a muscle. A German girl then appeared and held Michi back, tearfully urging the Hokkaido native to stop. This German girl was familiar to Serafina but she couldn't remember where and when the two of them met.

All of the sudden, Serafina felt as if she was starting to float. She saw a silver ring on her left middle finger. The ring then transformed into an egg-shaped gem with a golden cage. The gem was pitch black and was starting to crack before Serafina's eyes. It was at this time that the figure of Audrey Burnham then stepped into Serafina's view with an M1911A1 pistol in her hand.

Audrey pointed the pistol at the gem in Serafina's hand and pulled the trigger. Then, Serafina's vision blacked out.

...

Serafina's eyes shot open and she found herself lying down on her bed in her cramped Mitakihara apartment again. Her WristComm was buzzing as her alarm went off, but the Ukrainian was too shock to even notice. Haunted by her new vision, Serafina rubbed the spot on her left middle finger where she saw the silver ring in her dream. Was that what the military policeman was looking for earlier at the base?

The Ukrainian groaned and then finally got around to turning off her alarm as she tried to burn the things she had seen in her dreams to memory. After all, that dream matched what the MP was describing during her strange interrogation - something out of that world.

As Serafina was sorting through her thoughts, she noticed the silhouette of a small, ferret-like creature behind the curtain. Serafina leapt out of her bed and rushed to open her curtains, but the silhouette promptly disappeared.

That was the last straw. Deep in her heart, she could feel that there was something rotten in that world but she didn't know what - and there were only two people with whom she trusted enough to talk about it.

Thus, Serafina changed into her office clothes with a sense of urgency. She didn't even bother to put on any make-up and simply hurried down to the ground floor. The Ukrainian scrambled into her delivery van and then drove to the Elysian Fashion Asia headquarters to park in the underground parking lot as always.

When Serafina got to the parking lot, Audrey and their boss Junko Kaname were already there waiting for her at the elevator hall. Audrey and Junko waved to Serafina and called her over. The American beamed at her and said,

"Come on, Serafina! Let's get this damn audit done with quickly so we can make it to the ballroom dancing competition!"

Serafina approached the two of them but quickly changed the topic as she said with an air of urgency,

"I need to talk with the two of you."

Junko tilted her head and asked,

"Is it about these arbitrary weekend workdays? Cause I'm pretty damn pissed at VP Yukinoshita too right now."

Serafina lowered her head and a shadow formed over her eyes,

"I'm mad about that too, but there's something else."

Junko thoughtfully put a hand on her hip as she said,

"Well, let's talk about it in the elevator then. I don't want to miss Madoka's dance for the world."

The elevator doors then opened and the three-woman team stepped inside. Serafina, however, kept her distance from her teammates. Junko called for the twelfth floor as the elevator doors then closed behind them and they started their ascent.

The 180-degree view of the Ninth District of Mitakihara then came into view, but none of the ladies could appreciate the sight. Audrey and Junko watched Serafina with concern while the Ukrainian kept her eyes on her feet and tried to choose her words. When she was ready, Serafina turned towards her teammates and started,

"I've been bothered by a number of things lately and I want the two of you to hear me out. It might sound outrageous, but I can't think of any other way to put it so please hear me out."

The Ukrainian then managed to look into Junko's eyes then into Audrey's as she said,

"What if the three of us are dreaming right now - living in a dream world that was created for us by some higher power?"

Junko scratched her head and looked like she was absolutely puzzled,

"Hey… what brought this on, Serafina?"

"I don't know… but ever since this morning, I've had a strange feeling that's grown stronger and stronger in my heart. It's as if all this time, I've been dancing around in a circle heading nowhere. In all honesty, when I really think hard about it, I'm not exactly sure how I got here to Mitakihara. This doesn't seem right… I'm not supposed to be here."

A worried frown formed on Junko's lips and she turned to the American, hoping that she could make sense of what Serafina was saying. However, the American too seemed to share the Ukrainian's sentiment. Junko found herself at a loss for words and the elevator was filled with heavy silence.

As Junko was trying to figure out what to say, she looked out the window hoping to clear her mind. Instead of that, Junko found herself looking at a most unbelievable sight. Three blocks away from the Elysian Fashion tower, the headquarters of the Mitakihara Police Department was suddenly shaken by an unseen force.

The new, cylindrical Panopticon tower of the police headquarters then looked as if it had been ripped off of the main building and then thrown down onto the busy Ninth District expressway. Junko watched in horror as she witnessed the inexplicable destruction happening before her eyes.

Serafina and Audrey, on the other hand, wore grim expressions. After all, when the two ladies looked out of the elevator window, they saw the culprits of the unnatural disaster in plain sight. There was a band of levitating, white-robed monolithic giants with flaming spears looming around the police headquarters.

A pair of those creatures then turned towards the Elysian Fashion headquarters and looked at Audrey and Serafina in the eyes. The ungodly sight chilled Audrey and Serafina to their bones but it jolted their memories as well. Serafina instinctively held her left hand in her right and felt the spot where her silver ring should have been. She then remembered the name that she once called those creatures,

"Wraiths."

**To Be Continued**


	18. Waltz of the Terrors

**Prologue**

The early afternoon idyll of Sunday idyll in the posh Ninth District of Mitakihara was suddenly shattered when the Panopticon Tower of the Mitakihara Police Department headquarters - a cylindrical tower of reinforced glass and concrete with a steel frame similar to a birdcage - was torn off of the main building by an unseen force. The birdcage-like tower came crashing down onto a busy intersection of the main avenues of the Ninth District, crushing cars, trucks and people alike beneath its weight.

The passers-by in the sidewalks and in the vehicles stuck in the broken avenues watched with confusion at first as clouds of debris took to the sky and covered the afternoon sun. It happened so suddenly that the people were still in shock and were unable to believe their eyes. Just as the gravity of the situation was dawning upon them, however, the people in the Ninth District found themselves unable to move.

The unseen beings that tore down the Panopticon Tower - the twelve spear-wielding Wraiths that had gathered around the police headquarters - were starting to affect the people gathered in and around the busy intersection. Streams of smoky black energy seeped out from the people's eyes, ears and mouths and flowed towards the Wraiths who absorbed them.

As the unnerving silence in the Ninth District persisted, the ruins of the fallen Panopticon Tower shifted. A pair of bedraggled creatures then tunneled out of the debris - the de-facto leader of the Incubators named 'Ichibey' and his reluctant right hand 'Nibey'. The two creatures watched the harrowing scene unfolding in the Ninth District with their large red eyes. Ichibey wagged his crooked tale with excitement and a wicked smirk formed on his lips as he thought out loud,

"It appears that my calculations were correct, Nibey. Our Shugen Wraiths are much more proficient at gathering negative emotional energy than the lesser Wraiths. A single Shugen Wraith can amplify the throughput of the lesser Wraiths, but having twelve of them at once improves the efficiency exponentially! The lesser Wraiths hardly left a scratch on their physical surroundings before on their own - but now they are capable of dealing such damage!"

As Ichibey was speaking, the people near the fallen tower in the intersection started falling down to their knees. The fear that those people had been feeling just moments ago suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a gnawing emptiness that ate away their strength. The smile on Ichibey's lips then grew even wider as he said,

"Look, Nibey. The Wraiths are now able to consume even the life force of the humans as well!"

Ichibey raised his head up high with satisfaction as he basked in the flickering afternoon sunlight passing between the cloud of debris and the streams of negative energy. The creature then tilted his head back and faced his reluctant companion as he said,

"To think that this is only the beginning of their potential. Isn't it wonderful, Nibey?"

The nervous Nibey walked over to Ichibey's side and regarded the unsettling silence of the chaos unfolding before them. The creature's body shivered from fright as he answered,

"I-impressive as it is, I-Ichibey… this is a declaration of war against the m-mistress! The d-dice has already been c-cast... and b-blood has already been shed. T-there's… there's no turning back for us now."

Nibey faced the leader of the Incubators with a fearful expression and continued,

"N-not even Miki-san will harbor us after this."

Ichibey thoughtfully hummed but he didn't seem to be bothered in the slightest. He then looked up to the twelve Shugen Wraiths assembled there in the Ninth District and said,

"Indeed, there is no turning back for us now. As a matter of fact, there is no more need for us to call that foolish child our 'mistress' anymore. She is simply 'Homura Akemi' to us now - a desperate child who, like Madoka Kaname before her, thought that she could use our own concepts and technologies against us."

The battered creature then gave off a mechanical snicker as he added,

"As for Miki-san, our partnership was about to run its course. There will come a time when Sayaka Miki would no longer have a use for us. At that point, she will become exactly like Homura Akemi towards us. I wonder if those two children realize just how similar they are."

Nibey tilted his head and asked,

"Miki-san and Akemi-san are similar?"

"Yes. Much more similar than either of them would like to admit. But none of that matters now. Our chance to finally put the human race in its place is close at hand. Though it won't be without its challenges. We are fighting the girl who rules the universe, after all."

As the de-facto leader of the Incubators was speaking, the rubble beneath the two Incubators' paws shifted again. Nibey jumped back with his white hairs and his tail standing on end. Ichibey, on the other hand, simply wore an amused smirk on his lips as he turned around to face the shifting rubble.

Moments later, a wounded human arm shot out from the debris and its wounded hand viciously swiped at the two Incubators. Nibey cowered and dug his face into the rubble but Ichibey just took a step back to dodge the swiping hand.

The rest of the body then emerged from the rubble, revealing the haggard figure of the Mitakihara Police Department chief covered in dust and soot. Her ceremonial police uniform was tattered and torn.

The police chief's black hair that was usually neatly tied back with a barrette had come undone and covered her face like a veil of black. Behind that veil of unkempt hair, the police chief snarled like a wild beast as her wrinkled human skin shed from her face and her hands like the scales of a snake. Then, the chief's bloodshot eyes shifted into frightening ones of blue and orange rings. That was the true face of the police chief - the younger half of the Clara Doll Manuke.

Ichibey looked back into Manuke the younger's maddened eyes and was unmoved by its presence. The leader of the Incubators wagged his crooked tail again as he said,

"Truly, Homura Akemi's Clara Dolls are resilient vessels - much more resilient than the frail bodies of human beings. However, even these dolls have their limits."

Manuke the younger snorted like a bull as the orange rings in her eyes grew more prominent than the blue. The Clara Doll got on all fours and summoned her black needle with a flicker of black, shimmering energy. She then burst into a sprint and thrust her needle towards Ichibey's head with every ounce of strength in her being.

However, it was already too late.

Two Shugen Wraiths intercepted the rushing Clara Doll and thrust their flaming spears at her. The Wraiths caught Manuke the younger mid-air and forced her to a halt. The first spear shot straight through the Clara Doll's back while the second one cleanly chopped off her needle-wielding arm.

The unholy flames of the Shugen Wraiths' spears then burned Manuke the younger alive as she let out a shrill, inhuman shriek of pain. And yet, the Clara Doll still frantically tried to claw her way towards the smiling Ichibey for one more attack.

That opportunity, however, would never come.

Thick fog started to spread throughout the Ninth District and was centered around the fallen Panopticon Tower. A multitude of lesser Wraiths marched out from behind the fog and paraded down the crowded, albeit silent avenues and crushed vehicles and the people inside them beneath their feet.

One by one, the lesser Wraiths pointed their fingers at the helpless Clara Doll. Black energy coalesced around the fingers of the lesser Wraiths and Ichibey's smile grew even wider. Then, all at once, black beams shot forth from the Wraiths' fingers and struck Manuke the younger, incinerating her and the debris around her into ash.

Ichibey looked down upon the smoldering crater where Manuke the younger's ashes laid and he scoffed. He then turned to Nibey and said,

"The dice truly has been cast, but the show has only just begun."

When Ichibey said this, the mountain of rubble beneath the Incubators' feet rumbled again. Dozens of new tunnels popped out from the debris and tens of thousands of Incubators - the prisoners of the fallen Panopticon Tower - surfaced. The Incubators gathered around Ichibey and Nibey and looked up to them.

Ichibey then turned to his fellow Incubators and cried out with pride,

"Go forth, my brothers! The day of mankind's reckoning is at hand!"

* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**Waltz of the Terrors**

* * *

**Fifty-eighth Act - Fall From Grace**

An air of grim silence hung over in the posh elevator car of the Elysian Fashion headquarters that fateful afternoon. Audrey, Serafina and Junko all looked out through the elevator's window to the inexplicable chaos unfolding in the Ninth District. The ladies watched in silence as the unsettling scene of destruction from the fallen Panopticon Tower was followed by absolute, deathly silence. People were turning to the scene of looming chaos and were falling to their knees en masse.

Everyone in and around the intersection were staring blankly at the fallen tower and the rising cloud of debris that came from it. People who were further away from the epicenter instinctively brought out their WristComm cameras and started recording the inexplicable oddity. None of them could tell if the chaos was real or of it was some sort of marketing campaign for an apocalyptic movie of some sort.

Junko Kaname, on the other hand, was honestly disturbed and brashly spoke her mind,

"What the fuck is going on!?"

The senior saleswoman turned to her two juniors, but the two of them were watching the scene with a different kind of dread about them. Audrey and Serafina saw the scene of destruction like everyone else, but they also saw what Junko and the others could not - the ethereal beings called 'Wraiths'.

The two ladies saw hundreds of those Wraiths marching out through the veil of fog, led by a handful of larger, spear-wielding Wraiths who hovered cross-legged over the downtrodden avenues. The two of them also heard the ominous chanting of the Wraiths that sounded like monks praying aloud in a religious procession.

Audrey and Serafina then saw that the twelve, levitating, spear-wielding Wraiths were starting to form a circle around the devastated Mitakihara Police Department headquarters. Those Wraiths raised up their spears together and then slammed them down onto the ground with a powerful regular beat. The slamming sounded like taiko drums following the chanting of the lesser Wraiths.

The slamming of the spears shook the earth violently, causing tremors that triggered the automated earthquake alarms of the Ninth District. Formless screens started to appear in the posh elevator car while the WristComm devices of the ladies displayed yellow-tinted warning messages from the Greater Mitakihara District municipality that read,

" _This is an emergency earthquake warning. Please watch out for a strong, local quake affecting the 9th Mitakihara District..._ "

The same message was broadcast in the Elyian Fashion headquarters' PA system and on every speaker system of the nearby skyscrapers. Digital billboards all over the district changed from their usual video loops to the Kanagawa Prefecture news bureaus announcing the earthquake. However, none of the people in the Ninth District seem to notice any of this at all and kept their attention solely on the fallen tower.

The digital billboards nearest to the intersection started to glitch out and display frightening, discolored static. People who were further away from the epicenter also started falling to their knees as they too fell under the influence of the Wraiths. The tremors then continued to intensify until a sinkhole formed beneath the police headquarters.

All of the sudden, the entire glass fortress adorned with purple flags and banners came crashing down and was swallowed whole by the earth, taking the stretches of the damaged avenues and the crowds of kneeling, blank-eyed people who had gathered there along with it.

Serafina held her trembling left hand in her right as she watched all of this happening just two blocks away from them. The Ukrainian recalled the chilling visions that she had just a little while ago and she found herself searching for a silver ring that was no longer there. Serafina's brow furrowed and her left hand clenched into a fist.

Many people were dying in the streets and hundreds - if not thousands more - were in grave danger, the Ukrainian thought. It made Serafina feel completely and utterly powerless and it made her stomach turn.

Suddenly, Serafina felt a hand rest on her shoulder, snapping her out of her bitter thoughts. She turned around and then saw Audrey facing her with a serious yet empathetic expression. The American felt exactly the same way as her, Serafina thought, but the look in Audrey's light brown eyes showed that she hadn't given up hope just yet.

With that, the American promptly said,

"The three of us aren't safe here anymore. We gotta get out of this place - ASAP."

Serafina nodded and then turned to Junko as well with an urgent tone,

"Audrey- _tovarisch_  is right. This isn't an earthquake, Junko- _tovarisch_. It's an assault - and I have a bad feeling that they're going to come for us next."

Junko looked at her two juniors with a bewildered expression as she asked,

"T-that's gotta be a joke, right? What do you mean by an assault? And who are 'they'?"

The American lady hurried over to the elevator control panel and then called for the very next floor as she said,

"Serafina already said what 'they' are. They're called 'Wraiths'. It's pretty hard to explain, Junko, but you're going to have to trust us on this one. We gotta get out of this elevator before…"

Audrey turned back and then saw two black spears sailing towards the Elysian Fashion headquarters. The spears cast long shadows over the three ladies and traced lines of unholy flame through the overcast, afternoon sky. The American's eyes widened as she cried,

"Quickly you two! Grab something and hold on!"

As Audrey was speaking, the two flaming spears struck the twelfth floor above them with a thunderous crash. The entire Elysian Fashion building violently shook and the elevator car suddenly dropped down the shaft.

The three ladies screamed and held onto the elevator car's rails for dear life. The car then came to a sudden halt, throwing the three ladies off of their feet. However, the ladies knew that their ordeal was far from over so they held their breaths.

The elevator car felt as if had been unhinged and was dangling precariously in the elevator shaft. Their fall was broken by the emergency cable brake that kicked in but even that cable was starting to moan ominously from the stress.

Audrey gathered herself and turned to her teammates as she urged them,

"Help me open this door. The emergency cable's not gonna last much longer!"

The American's two companions were a little slow to react, but they both nodded and carefully made their way to the elevator doors as well.

The senior saleswoman felt her heart pounding against her chest and she heard it throbbing in her ears as she approached the elevator doors. Junko wondered if the three of them would be able to open the elevator doors on their own. Her juniors, however, each took a side of the elevator door without hesitation and started to pry them open.

It was a tremendous effort where Audrey and Serafina grunted and winced as sweat dripped down from their brows. And yet, the two of them slowly overcame the resistance of the elevator doors on their own. Junko could only watch with disbelief until her juniors forced the door completely open and cleared a path to the eighth floor hallway.

Once they did, however, the ladies saw that the elevator car was stuck at a point lower than the threshold - off the mark by about a meter. The ladies were going to have to climb up on their own to get out.

Audrey and Serafina gave Junko a boost and helped her up to the threshold first. The American then climbed up next with Serafina's help while Junko pulled her up. When the Ukrainian's turn to climb finally came, however, the moaning of the elevator cables grew louder and cruder while the brakes of the elevator car screeched.

Urged by the noise, Audrey grabbed Serafina's hand and pulled her up and out of the elevator car with a powerful tug. As soon as Serafina got out, the emergency cable snapped and its broken brakes broke off as the elevator car came hurtling down the elevator shaft all the way down, ending with a deafening crash.

Junko shriveled up from the noise and she felt her heart race. The three of them were in that elevator car just moments ago. The three of them could have died. Thinking about that made the senior saleswoman lose her balance and she stumbled over. Audrey, however, caught her and helped her back up on her feet.

The senior saleswoman thanked her juniors and heaved a long sigh as she pressed her back against the wall of the hallway to rest. A strange fatigue had taken hold of Junko as she found herself fighting to catch her breath. When she turned to Audrey and Serafina, however, the two of them seemed perfectly fine - even after opening the elevator doors on their own.

Curious, Junko steadied her breathing and then asked,

"How… did the two of you do all that just now? That door… must have been… pretty damn heavy."

Audrey and Serafina turned to each other and tried to think of what they were going to say. The American then took the lead and wore an innocent smile as she said,

"I guess we're stronger than we thought."

She then laid a hand on Junko's shoulder and said,

"For now, let's get the hell out of here, okay? Are you good to go now?"

Junko nodded and then peeled herself off of the wall. The slight fatigue she felt still lingered, but she managed to catch her breath and will herself on. She followed Audrey and Serafina down the hallway towards the fire escape stairwell.

On their way to the fire escapes, the ladies saw the office workers trickling out of the eighth floor offices. Those workers formed orderly lines towards the fire escape and were exiting without any sense of urgency whatsoever. It was just like the fire and earthquake safety drills that Elysian Fashion had every year, executed completely by-the-book.

The line was moving so slowly and the people lining up didn't seem to want to budge to let Junko and her team cut ahead. Thus, the American put a hand on her hip with frustration as she said,

"Can you guys hurry up a little? This isn't an earthquake drill anymore, people! We gotta get out of this place, pronto!"

The lined-up office workers, however, didn't seem to hear the American. Not a single soul turned towards her as if Audrey wasn't there at all. The workers simply carried on and walked into the fire escape at snails' paces.

The American then turned to Serafina and said,

"There are some people from Logistics here, aren't there? They might listen to you, so can you tell them to hurry up?"

Serafina nodded and then approached the Logistics people that she knew. One of them, a middle-aged logistics manager, sluggishly turned her head towards Serafina when she called. The Ukrainian was relieved at first, but she suddenly gasped when she got a good look at the logistics manager's face.

The manager's skin was awfully pale and her eyes were turning blank - as if a veil of grey fog had formed in her irises.

The Ukrainian took a step back, terrified by what had become of her acquaintance. The manager, however, rejoined the zombie-like crowd and lamented with a weak voice,

"Why are you in such a hurry? Where are we going, exactly? Is it somewhere better than here?"

The other office workers in the sluggish line started to speak up and lament as well. All the while, dark clouds seemed to brew and hang over their heads.

"I never really liked working here."

"This was a dead-end job."

"The pay's so low, it's not even worth it."

"I've thought about jumping from the roof before."

"I've wasted so many years of my life here already."

"If it all ended here and now, that might not be so bad."

The dark clouds over the workers' heads then started drawing out streams of black, negative energy from the workers who continued their deathly march. Audrey and her teammates knew that they weren't getting out that way, so the three of them turned around and headed to the main, spiral staircase at the middle of the building.

When the ladies reached the cylindrical stairwell, Audrey and Serafina suddenly felt an intense heat coming from above them. Was it the fire from the flaming spears that struck the top of the building earlier? Audrey wiped the sweat off of her forehead with a handkerchief while Serafina pulled on the collar of her blouse to air it out a little.

Junko, on the other hand, didn't seem to be bothered at all by the heat - and neither did the other people going down the spiral staircase. There were only a few people there at the cylindrical, main stairwell but they too were moving just as sluggishly and as quietly as the ones clogging the fire escape. At least there, the staircase was wide enough for the three ladies to weave through the people.

The three ladies gathered their resolve and did just that, climbing down the spiral staircase as quickly as their feet could take them. On they way down the staircase, the ladies saw the devastating scene of the quiet chaos in the Ninth District through the reinforced glass walls once again. Junko shook her head and turned away from the destruction as she stole glances of her two teammates and said,

"The two of you really are something, aren't you? You guys aren't just strong - you're both awfully calm right now, even after seeing all this. It's like you guys have been in this kind of situation before."

Audrey glanced back at Junko and said,

"I guess you can say that. There's a long, long story to that. But you seem quite composed yourself, Junko."

The senior saleswoman had a thoughtful pause before she started to explain,

"You see, my friend Kazuko - you know, Saotome-san, right? The two of us went through some pretty rough shit in our younger years. There were times when people acted strange all of the sudden just like now - especially during the typhoon season."

Junko Kaname imagined her younger self along with a younger Saotome running down the spiral staircase of the Mitakihara Junior High School in the height of a powerful storm. The younger Saotome held onto the younger Junko's hand tightly and led her down the staircase without ever looking back.

The senior saleswoman sighed as she returned to the present and continued,

"My friend Kazuko talked about 'Wraiths' too. It's been so long since I last heard about them, though, so I nearly forgot about them. She stopped talking about them after we graduated from MJHS together and I never thought I'd hear about those strange things again."

Junko then turned to her two teammates and said,

"I never really saw those strange creatures that Kazuko was talking about - but Kazuko did. The two of you can see them too, it seems. Could it be because the two of you were also offered contracts? Were the two of you asked to become Puella…"

As Junko was speaking, she was suddenly interrupted by a shadow that darkened the entire seventh floor of the stairwell. The three ladies turned to the glass walls and then saw a large, pale-white fist, detached from whatever body it might have had, flying towards them.

It was headed straight towards Junko Kaname.

Serafina scrambled to try and put herself in between her two teammates and the fist but it was already too late. The white fist smashed through the reinforced glass walls of the seventh floor of the stairwell and crashed into Audrey, Serafina and Junko all at once.

The punch struck them with the force of a freight train. Serafina shielded herself with her arms but the pain mercilessly spread throughout her body as she as her teammates were thrown off of their feet and thrust back into the metal railings of the spiral staircase.

The Ukrainian's back hit the metal railings with a dull thud and she felt the back of her ribs rattle, but she braved the pain and tried to catch her two teammates. The pain that Serafina felt was great, but she knew that she and Audrey could take it as former Puella Magi.

Junko, on the other hand, was just a normal person.

Serafina steeled herself in a split second and then caught Audrey and Junko in her arms before they hit the steel railings themselves. The impact, however, broke off the railings and the three ladies were thrown into the center of the spiral staircase. They then found themselves falling head first from seven stories high with nothing to break their fall but the tiles of the ground floor lobby.

Serafina's head felt light as gravity started to take hold of her and pull her down with her teammates. The flight of the spiral staircase they were on just moments ago crumbled as well and broke off from the stairwell. The large, hulking slab of concrete with sharp spears of warped rebar sticking out followed the ladies down their plummeting path.

If the fall didn't kill them, then the falling flight of stairs would. Was that how they were going to die? What a cruel joke, Serafina thought.

Serafina's vision started to black out as time seemed to slow down for the Ukrainian. Memories started to surface in her mind - her many years serving as a Maultier of Salvae, Terrae Magicae. They were visions of her past that came to her much more clearly than they did in her dreams. It was as if the dam that had been holding them back was shattered by the frantic fear in Serafina's heart and mind.

Those years were filled with horror and hope and despair and joy. In contrast, the life she had been living in Mitakihara felt like a dream - a dream of the life she always wanted ,and a dream that was about to come to a sudden end.

Tears then started to form in Serafina's eyes and streaked through her cheeks as she fell. That wasn't how she wanted to die, Serafina told herself. She knew that Puella Magi like herself never had the choice of when or how they were going to die - but that didn't stop her for holding out hope for a miracle.

…

All of the sudden, the entire scene in the stairwell came to a halt. The muted, mechanical sound of clockwork filled the stairwell as Serafina, Audrey and Junko were suspended in midair and were frozen in time. The falling debris, the shards of shattered reinforced glass and the tears streaking from Serafina's eyes all stood still.

A myriad of golden ribbons then burst out of the woodwork around the three ladies and formed three sturdy lines of rope. Three middle-school girls in brightly colored costumes then appeared, swinging into the stairwell from the ropes of golden ribbons. Each girl swung towards one of the three adults and caught them in mid-air.

As soon as the middle-school girls caught the adults, time started to tick for the ladies again. Serafina came to, realizing that she wasn't falling head-first anymore. She also saw that she was being held in one arm by a middle schooler with fiery red hair tied in a messy ponytail and a confident grin on her lips.

Serafina recognized her immediately and gasped,

"S-Sakura- _tovarisch_?"

Kyouko Sakura hummed with pride as the bangs and ponytail of her red hair whipped around in the wind. The fiery-haired spear-fighter then said,

"Yup, that's right! Looks like we made it in time - but damn, that was a close call!"

Serafina looked down below and saw that she and Kyouko were hanging just a little more than a story higher than the ground floor. In spite of that, the rest of the stairwell still seemed to be suspended in time. The Ukrainian then looked up and saw that the falling slab of concrete was also still suspended above them.

In contrast, Serafina saw the other two middle-school girls swinging from the ropes with the Ukrainian's teammates in full motion. The American, Audrey Burnham, was being carried by the golden-haired Mami Tomoe. Her boss Junko, on the other hand, was firmly cradled in the arms of the black-haired Homura Akemi.

The three middle school girls then swung their ropes and brought the ladies safely together to the second floor landing. Serafina then saw Homura lay Junko Kaname down on the ground before laying her hand on her silver shield. The black-haired sophomore turned her shield clockwise and then the scene in the cylindrical stairwell came roaring back to life.

Serafina watched in shock as the falling slab of concrete stairs zipped past the second floor landing before crashing down onto the ground floor.

The Ukrainian was just about to heave a sigh of relief when she felt the pain in her arm and in the back of her ribs stinging her again. Serafina winced in pain, but she still took the effort to turn to her two teammates.

Audrey, just like Serafina, was overcome by the pain from the vicious punch from earlier and was cursing in English beneath her breath while holding onto her bruised arm. Junko, on the other hand, had a streak of blood dripping down her lips while her right arm was twisted in an unnatural position. More than that, the senior saleswoman didn't seem to be moving at all.

In spite of the pain she felt, Serafina desperately cried out,

"Junko- _tovarisch!_ "

Homura calmly turned to Serafina and reassured,

"It's alright, Larivenko-san. Junko Kaname-san passed out, but she is still breathing. The pain she sustained must have knocked her out. The body of a regular human being doesn't have a high threshold for physical trauma after all."

The black-haired girl then ran a hand through her hair as she said,

"But don't worry - Junko Kaname-san will be fine. Just leave it to me."

With that, Homura carefully adjusted Junko's twisted arm to a more natural position and wiped the blood from her mouth. Homura then laid a hand over the senior saleswoman's heart as she cast a ray of warm, purple light that emanated from Homura's hand and gently wrapped around Junko's body.

Kyouko then grinned at Serafina as she said,

"Mami and I will heal you guys up too, so sit tight 'aight?"

Kyouko cast her own warm, red light over the injured Serafina and its warmth spread throughout the Ukrainian's body like a blanket. The sharp pain that Serafina had been feeling subsided, but an uneasiness remained about her.

It was at that time that the sound of heavy footsteps and the rigid rattle of armor echoed in the stairwell. Serafina turned to the second floor landing and watched as the willowy figure of Elise de Lamarliere emerged in her full breastplate while holding her distinct, heavy greatsword with one hand. The French girl then said,

"Akemi-san, the Wraiths noticed our presence. They are still confined to the inner city blocks but they are starting to make their move, and..."

Elise paused as soon as she saw Audrey and Serafina being tended to by Mami and Kyouko. The French girl's expression grew complex as she felt the American and the Ukrainian watching her with familiar eyes that recognized her. However, the looks that Audrey and Serafina gave her were the haunted, hunted kind.

A nervous bead of sweat formed on Serafina's brow as she fearfully said,

"C-Carissima, Elise?"

Disappointment wrinkled Elise's lips as the French girl struggled to choose the words to say. However, before she could say anything, the white fist that struck the three ladies earlier appeared and descended down to the second floor landing. The detached fist clenched and cracked its own knuckles in anticipation.

Homura glared at the unwelcome fist, but she kept her attention on healing Junko Kaname. Mami and Kyouko, on the other hand, were about to turn towards the fist to fight it when Elise waved her hand and said,

"Please keep healing them, Tomoe-san, Sakura-san. Let me handle this."

Elise then turned around to face the belligerent fist and rested the flat of her greatsword on her right shoulder. Serafina then noticed the scabbard of another sword at the French girl's hip. Elise drew out the second sword as well, revealing an old yet sharp katana that the Ukrainian girl recognized.

Serafina watched in awe as Elise wielded the heavy European sword and the lithe Oriental blade with equal skill. The French girl then, with both swords in hand, lunged forward and charged at the detached white fist.

With mighty swings of her swords, Elise cut the fist neatly into four and the first burst into a mess of black and white pixels before fizzling away.

* * *

**Fifty-ninth Act, First Movement - There Must Be Something We Can Do**

Audrey and Serafina watched in awe as Elise gracefully landed on the second floor landing with her back turned to the two adults. The French girl then dissolved the heavy greatsword in her right hand with a flash of lilac light and then swung the katana in her left through the air, casting off the black, pixelated blood of the Wraith's fist.

Once she did, the American and the Ukrainian felt the worst of their pains had already been melted away by Mami's and Kyouko's magic. The golden-haired gunner and the fiery-haired spear-fighter dispelled their healing lights and then helped the two adults back up to their feet.

Homura, on the other hand, continued to heal Junko Kaname with her magic. The time-traveler, then gave the two adults a sidelong glance as she said,

"Judging by your reactions, the two of you already remember what you once were - what Kyouko, Mami-san, De Lamarliere-san and I are. The both of you can also see the enemy that we're up against, so I assume that you know the situation that we're in. That makes things a little easier to explain."

Homura then dispelled her own healing light and stood up from where she knelt beside Junko. She then turned to the two adults and said,

"I have stabilized Junko Kaname-san's condition with magic for now. She's not in danger anymore, but she will need further treatment - especially for her arms and ribs. As much as I would like to heal her completely now, this whole District is under siege and we don't have enough time."

The black-haired sophomore then turned to the fire escape stairwells where the other workers of Elysian Fashion were walking out of the building in single file and in an unhurried pace. The eyes of those people were still blank and were shrouded by the same unseen force that had brought practically the entire district to its knees.

None of those people seemed to notice the Puella Magi and their brightly colored costumes that contrasted the darkened grey in the second floor landing. Smoky trails of black energy also continued to flow out of their eyes, ears and mouths and rose up the main, cylindrical stairwell and out through the hole punched through the seventh floor.

Homura ran a hand through her hair as she continued to speak with her back still turned to the two adults,

"The influence of the Wraiths has already reached this far and the miasma in the Ninth District is growing thicker by the minute. We have to get Junko Kaname-san out of here as soon as possible, and I would like to ask the two of you for help with that. The Mitakihara General Hospital is just across the river. Can I ask the two of you to bring her there?"

Audrey and Serafina turned to the unconscious Junko with hesitation then turned to the lethargic march of their coworkers climbing down the fire exits. The American shored up her resolve then turned to Homura and asked,

"What about everyone else? Practically everyone in this building are under the influence of the Wraiths already. They're all gonna be in danger at this rate too if we don't help them too. Junko's already stable now, right? Then let me and Serafina help you guys out."

The Ukrainian agreed with a determined nod as she added,

"Please. If there's something that Audrey- _tovarisch_  and I can do to help, we want to do that. We don't want to sit idly by."

Homura heaved a sigh and turned around to give the ladies a stern reply, but Mami suddenly interrupted the sophomore and said,

"I agree with Burnham-san and Larivenko-san. The enemy presence in this district is tougher than what we have faced before - with quite a few Shugen Wraiths taking point. Our melee vanguard is also one girl short, so we won't be able to evacuate this building and properly fight the Wraiths at the same time. Looking at it that way, we need all the help we can get, Akemi-san. De Lamarliere-san thinks so too."

All eyes then turned to the French girl who still couldn't seem to face the two adults. Elise returned the katana to its sheath and then raised up her head as she finally managed to say,

"Audrey Burnham and Serafina Larivenko, in spite of what happened between us, are two of the most trustworthy magi that I knew in Salvae. I can vouch for them both - they'll be a great help to us."

Serafina's eyes brightened when she heard this while Audrey still watched the French girl with doubt. Regardless, Homura sighed again and turned to Mami and the two adults and said,

"Very well then. I assume you have some sort of plan in mind, Mami-san."

The golden-haired gunner confidently smiled and played with a lock of her golden hair as she said,

"Fufufu~ of course! I'm not the Mitakihara Quintet's strategist for nothing, Akemi-san."

Mami then faced the two adults and said,

"Your co-workers are following some sort of evacuation drill, correct? Where are they all headed?"

Audrey's face lit up in realization and then pointed out the glass walls by the second floor landing as she said,

"There's a small city park about three blocks away from here. It's big enough for everyone in the building - and it happens to be far away from the chaos at the police station too."

Mami nodded and then thoughtfully hummed. She then smiled again and clapped her hands as she explained her plan,

"Alright then. Why don't we bring Junko Kaname-san there with the other evacuees? I'll accompany the two of you to the park while the others start pushing back against the Wraiths. Then, I'll teach you two what you have to do on our way there. I'll join the others when you're ready."

The gunner then sweetly tilted her head as she asked with a gentle tone,

"Does that sound good to the two of you?"

Audrey and Serafina turned to each other first then nodded firmly to Mami. The golden-haired gunner's smile brightened up as she happily summoned new golden ribbons with a wave of her hand. The ribbons then tied themselves and formed a stretcher beneath Junko Kaname.

With that, Audrey and Serafina each took a side of the stretcher and prepared to climb down the spiral staircase with their unconscious boss in tow. The golden haired gunner then summoned a pair of her rifled muskets - one for each hand - and was about to lead the two ladies when Homura called out to them.

Mami and the two adults stopped and turned to the time-traveler who approached them. Homura reached into the space behind her silver shield and then brought out two aged yet well-maintained pistols - a Soviet Tokarev TT-30 and then an American Colt M1911.

Audrey and Serafina recognized those pistols immediately and were pleasantly surprised to see their old guns again. The time-traveler then handed the two pistols to Mami and said,

"I want them to take these - just in case."

Elise de Lamarliere who stole a glance at the pistols in Homura's hands and recognized them as well. She wondered, at first, how Homura got her hands on those guns but she remembered the things that Michi already told her. A shadow hung over the French girl's eyes and she kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, Elise tapped Kyouko on the shoulder and said,

"Sakura-san. Let's go on ahead."

* * *

**Fifty-ninth Act, Second Movement - As Many As We Can**

A few minutes later, Mami stepped out of the glass doors of the Elysian Fashion headquarters with her two rifled muskets in hand. The golden-haired gunner watched the overcast skies with vigilant eyes and then gestured an 'all clear' to the people behind her.

Audrey and Serafina then followed after Mami while they carried the unconscious Junko Kaname on the stretcher made out of the gunner's ribbons. Just like that, the two ladies followed Mami's lead through the desolate streets of the Ninth District.

As they were making their way to the evacuation point, powerful chains of explosions erupted from far behind them and illuminated the thick veil of miasma fog with flame. Mami and the ladies turned to the veiled, fiery scene and they heard the chanting of the Wraiths break rhythm. Flashes of purple, red and lilac flickered in the fog as Mami said,

"Looks like it's already begun. Okay then. Allow me to explain what I need the two of you to do."

Mami and the ladies approached the evacuation site and the gunner dissolved her muskets with flashes of golden light. She then transformed them into a long, steel chain in midair that she caught and twirled around like a lasso. Mami then threw the chain and formed a loop around the entire park. Once the loop closed, the entire park was suddenly bathed in warm, golden light that coalesced into the shape of daisy petals.

The lethargic people in the park were all suddenly started to wake up from their zombie-like stupor and realized where they were. The streams of black energy flowing out of their heads also disappeared as the color started to return to the people's pale faces. Mami saw this and then smiled as she explained,

"I can cast protective barriers like these to ward off the influence a little bit, but it should be enough to keep people safe from harm. The barriers repel the Wraiths too so, even though Wraiths only seem interested in fighting those with magical potential, Junko Kaname-san will surely be safe here now."

Audrey and Serafina entered the park with the unconscious Junko in tow and stepped over the magical chain that cast Mami's barrier. Once they crossed over, the oppressive air that the ladies felt was immediately lifted. All the while, the unconscious Junko looked as if she was having a more pleasant slumber.

The two ladies carefully laid Junko's stretcher down onto the grass and they then turned to the golden-haired gunner for instructions. Mami smiled and then waved her hand again and cast two flashes of golden light that coalesced into two large spools of golden ribbons. The gunner handed each of the ladies a spool and said,

"You can use these to lay down a safe path for your co-workers to the evacuation site. It's not as powerful as the chains I used for the park, but it will be good enough to snap people out of their stupor and there's more than enough of it to go around. I'm sure that if you can cover the fire exits and hallways with these, the evacuation will proceed much more quickly."

Audrey and Serafina took their spools and felt the gentle warmth emanating from their golden ribbons. The two ladies gave Mami thankful bows and then Audrey graciously spoke,

"Thank you, Tomoe-san. We'll do our best."

Mami smiled as she knowingly said,

"I know you two will. You're both Puella Magi from the Second World War after all, and the two of you have De Lamarliere-san's vote of confidence. From what I have seen, that doesn't come easily."

The gunner waved her hand and said,

"As much as I would like to talk with the two of you more, we do have quite a few Wraiths to take care of here. When things calm down, I would love to have the two of you join the Mitakihara Quintet for tea. But for now…"

Mami then brought out the Tokarev TT-30 and the Colt M1911 pistols that Homura gave her and handed them to the Ukrainian and the American respectively,

"Please save as many people as you can. We're counting on you."

The two adults nodded with determination and then took their pistols. The golden-haired gunner nodded back and then summoned a new, long-barreled rifled musket as she bid the two adults farewell. Mami bolted towards the battlefield while Audrey and Serafina pocketed their pistols and then started laying down golden ribbons on their way towards the besieged Elysian Fashion building.

Audrey and Serafina entered the building together and laid down safe corridors of golden ribbons for the lethargic people dragging their feet on their way out of the stairwells. Just like Mami said, those people snapped out of their stupor as soon as they walked down the ribbon-marked path. The American and the Ukrainian would then urge those people onwards to the evacuation site while they themselves climbed up the stairwells against the flow of fleeing people.

At every new floor they reached, the two ladies swept through the hallways and offices where they laid down safe paths and searched for any injured people. Audrey and Serafina treated what wounds they could with the first aid kits scattered around the offices and carried the people who couldn't walk on their shoulders.

It was a long and stressful ordeal, but the ladies heard the sounds of heavy fighting nearby. Neither of them had the time to complain. Neither of them could tell how much time had passed either. And yet, the ladies never seemed to run out of energy as they pressed on and cleared floor after floor, hall after hall and office after office.

When they reached the eighth floor, however, the atmosphere in the building promptly changed.

The ladies noticed that the river of evacuees had thinned into sparse streams. They also felt the oppressive heat coming from above them again, along with the ominous air that made it hard to breathe.

Unlike before, however, the heat and the heavy air was a little bit more manageable that time around. Audrey and Serafina also realized that the fire alarms and the sprinkler systems of the building never went off.

The Ukrainian looked down to her spool of golden ribbons and wondered,

"We might be able to go all the way upstairs with this, Audrey- _tovarisch_. We might still be able to save them all!"

Audrey nodded eagerly and and the two ladies braved the ethereal heat as they bravely pressed forward, laying down safe paths with the golden ribbons wherever they went. With every floor that the two ladies ascended, the unnatural heat grew more intense and the air threatened to choke them.

Sweat dripped down from the ladies brows as they shielded themselves from the heat with their arms. Every step forward they took threatened to knock the wind out of their sails but the ladies were undaunted. They left no stone unturned and checked every office without fail.

Even in those poor conditions, the two ladies still managed to find survivors. Past the eighth floor, the survivors that Audrey and Serafina found had already fallen to their knees and were being drained of their strength - but they were still alive. The enchantment of the golden ribbons lightened the load on the survivors' shoulders, but the American and the Ukrainian likewise cheered them on and urged them to fight on with words that came straight from their hearts,

"Just hang in there, okay? Everything will be fine!"

"It's not too late yet, so don't give up!"

"Don't look down on yourself like that! Come on, get up!"

"We'll make it through together, okay?"

"You can do it!"

"I believe in you!"

"It's not over yet!"

Those heartfelt words lit flames in the hearts of the two ladies' co-workers, giving them the strength to rise back up to their feet. Audrey and Serafina watched with tearful yet hopeful eyes as their co-workers who were all on the brink of death just moments ago seemed to be coming back to life. It was a miraculous sight that roused their own spirits as well.

Before either of the two ladies realized it, they were speaking those words to themselves and to each other. Was this what it meant to be a Puella Magi, the two ladies thought.

Audrey and Serafina then found themselves at the threshold to the hallway of the twelfth and final floor. The pain that the ladies felt from the ethereal heat and the thick air battered their bodies and felt as if they could have pierced their very souls. The two ladies, however, were unafraid.

They turned to each other and grinned at each other in spite of the pain. Thus, fueled by the determination welling in their hearts, Audrey and Serafina opened the door and marched into the devastated twelfth floor hallways.

* * *

**Sixtieth Act, First Movement - Speakeasy Under The Overcast Sky**

Half an hour later, the front door entrance of the Elysian Fashion Asia building slid open and Audrey and Serafina marched out through the threshold. The two ladies were covered in sweat, soot and dust that ruined their office clothes but neither of them seemed to mind. After the two ladies passed through, the survivors of the upper floors - from the eighth floor all the way to the twelfth - followed closely behind them.

Audrey, Serafina and their fellow co-workers then looked up to the overcast sky above them and watched as the sun started to peek out from behind the clouds. The crowd of upper-floor survivors thankfully cheered as they saw the sunlight and breathed in fresh air for what felt like the first time in a long while.

The two ladies, however, also saw the heavy fog in the district that their co-workers couldn't see start to fade as well. Likewise, the oppressive air that had hung over the district was dispelled along with it. Audrey and Serafina finally managed to sigh in relief, but they still led their thankful co-workers to the evacuation point at the park.

It was at that time that the sirens of emergency service vehicles from the other districts echoed in the distance, along with the sound of a whole squadron of helicopters that had come all the way from Kasamino.

Audrey wiped her brow with a handkerchief as she muttered,

"Took them long enough…"

Still, Audrey carried on with Serafina to the park where the other survivors were waiting for them. Hundreds of tearful reunions broke out as the last of the survivors finally arrived. Audrey and Serafina, however, weaved through the cheerful crowd as they looked for their boss Junko Kaname.

The senior saleswoman was still there where they left her and looked much better than she did just an hour ago. The first of the paramedics and medical personnel from the Mitakihara General Hospital then arrived at the park. Audrey and Serafina called those paramedics over and then had Junko put on a real stretcher and loaded up into the first ambulance they could find.

Audrey and Serafina then saw the unconscious Junko off and then watched the ambulance rush back to the hospital. Once the ambulance was out of sight, the two ladies found themselves a stone bench that was facing the Mitakihara River and sat there together.

The American then reached into her pockets and then fished out an old packet of cigarettes. She popped open the box and stared at it with a guilty expression etched on her lips. The Ukrainian beside her noticed the packet in Audrey's hands and said,

"What's with that look,  _tovarisch_? You're not going to smoke?"

Audrey scratched her head and then said,

"Hmm… I wonder. I used to smoke all the time, but I never once smoked in Mitakihara. It's like I quit smoking somewhere down the line - I even started using nicotine patches - but I don't remember quitting. Then not too long ago, I found an old carton of these cigarette packets when I was cleaning up my room. That was when I started to feel that something was off."

The American gave the packet of cigarettes a once over and then popped it open with her thumb as she continued,

"These are Manila  _cigarillos_  from the 20th Century. I thought it was some bad labelling error or some sort of retro marketing campaign, but these cigarettes are the real deal."

She shook the packet skillfully and brought up one of the cigarettes. Audrey took the cigarette and gave it a long, savory sniff before saying,

"Sun-dried tobacco from Mariveles. No additives. No filters. No 'Surgeon General's Warning' signs on the package either. It's a bona-fide 20th Century cigarette from, but it's in mint condition. Strange, huh?"

Audrey waved the old cigarette in her hand and said,

"I'm supposed to be a twenty-three year old accountant practically fresh out of college, aren't I? I was supposed to have never visited the Philippines in my life - so wasn't it strange for me to have these century-old smokes from the Far East?"

The Ukrainian chuckled and asked,

"That's really how you started piecing things together?"

Audrey nodded and then put the cigarette in her mouth as she dug through her pockets for a lighter and spoke,

"After that, I couldn't help but feel that things weren't adding up. The life I've been living here in Mitakihara so far felt that it was too good to be true. Do you know what I mean? It's like I was suddenly made to live a life that was made for me but was never really mine."

The American then found her lighter and she proceeded to light her cigarette. She took a puff and looked up to the overcast sky as she asked the Ukrainian beside her,

"Do you remember when the two of us had an early lunch at Elysian Fashion two weeks ago? You were feeling down back then and I told you that you were probably feeling homesick."

Serafina nodded and then looked up to the overcast sky as well. Audrey took another puff and then explained,

"Well, I didn't get the chance to tell you this - but I was feeling homesick too. I was longing for something familiar that I had forgotten somewhere down the line. These smokes are a tiny taste of that."

A gentle smile formed on Serafina's lips as she turned to Audrey and spoke,

"I see what you mean,  _tovarisch_. However, even if the life we've been living these past few months was an elaborate dream, the both of us still made the most out of it. We helped Junko- _tovarisch_  at work and protected her from harm too just a while ago. We also managed to save so many people today. This world may be a dream for us, but it's the reality for Junko- _tovarisch_  and everyone else living here and now."

The Ukrainian then beamed at Audrey and said,

"I also got to learn more about you,  _tovarisch_. We didn't really have a chance to get to know each other back then - what with the Incognitas running amok and the Second World War raging and all."

Audrey turned to Serafina with curiosity and asked with a raised brow,

"And just what did you learn about me, Serafina?"

Serafina snickered and then said,

"I learned that you can be quite a sweetheart - and quite a meanie at the same time too!"

Audrey tilted her head. She wasn't sure what the Ukrianian was talking about, so she tried to think of some crafty retort. All of the sudden, Serafina leaned forward and caught Audrey by surprise. The Ukrainian then snatched the packet of cigarettes from the distracted Audrey's hand and spoke in English while she tried to copy the American's voice,

"For teasing me about my dancing back then, I shall sequester one of these fine  _cigarillos~_."

Audrey's surprised look mellowed into a defeated smile and said,

"You could have just asked for a cigarette, you know."

Serafina snickered and replied,

"I'm just giving you a taste of your own medicine,  _tovarisch_."

The two ladies then shared a lighthearted laugh.

Serafina brought out a  _cigarillo_  from the packet and then fondly placed it in her mouth. She then leaned forward towards Audrey who was looking at her with a raised bow. Still, Audrey brought out her lighter again and then lit the cigarette that Serafina had 'sequestered'.

The two of them then leaned back into the bench and puffed their cigarettes in pleasant silence while watching the reflection of the clearing sky on the Mitakihara River together.

* * *

**Sixtieth Act, Second Movement - With A Wave Of Her Hand**

While Audrey and Serafina were peacefully puffing their cigarettes, a pair of helicopters passed by and flew low overhead. The gusts from the helicopter blades broke the calm atmosphere and scattered the smoke from the ladies' cigarettes. Serafina's bob-cut bangs and Audrey's ponytail whipped around in the wind too, forcing the two ladies to shield themselves.

Serafina winced from the wind, but she caught a glimpse of the passing helicopters and recognized them. They were military helicopters from the Kasamino Fleet Activities naval base - AW101 'Merlin' helicopters of the JSDF. Neither of the two helicopters were painted in Search And Rescue livery and had no rescue equipment attached to them whatsoever. Instead, the helicopters were carrying what appeared to be rocket pods and sensor modules that made the Ukrainian wonder,

'Search and Destroy?'

More than that, Serafina also noticed the same strange symbol from the purple flags she saw at the base on the tails of the helicopters as well.

The helicopters came to pass before Serafina could see any more, but the Ukrainian watched them fly over the Mitakihara River. Audrey put her cigarette back in her mouth and then tilted her head as she asked asked,

"Is something wrong, Serafina?"

Before Serafina could answer, however, the two ladies heard footsteps drawing closer to them. The ladies turned their heads to the direction of the steps and then found Homura Akemi and Mami Tomoe walking towards them. The golden-haired gunner and the time-traveler had dispelled their colorful Puella Magi attires and were dressed in everyday clothes but there were still traces of bruises and cuts from the fierce battle that they had just won.

Mami quickened her pace and then happily stood before Audrey and Serafina with a proud smile as she said,

"The two of you did a great job today! Look at all these people you managed to save - it's amazing! And by the looks of it, neither of you had to fire a shot."

Audrey fixed her wind-swept hair and then replied,

"That's because you girls were there to save us first and protected us too. Those really big Wraiths with the spears were pretty damn scary - never saw anything like them before. There were twelve of them to boot. But you guys were there for us. That really kept us going, you know."

The American then leaned back and tried to look behind the two girls as she asked,

"Where are the two red-heads, by the way? Serafina and I ought to thank them too."

Homura ran a hand through her silky black hair and said,

"Kyouko and De Lamarliere-san are inspecting the sinkhole that swallowed up the Mitakihara Police Department. That's where the epicenter of the Wraith attack was after all."

A small, unexpectedly warm smile then formed on Homura's lips as she said,

"I'm sure you'll get a chance to thank the two of them, though. After all - I have a feeling that the Mitakihara Quintet will be seeing more of the two of you from now on."

Audrey raised a brow and asked,

"From hereon out? What do you mean?"

Homura then showed Audrey her silver ring and its purple gem as she replied,

"The Mitakihara Quintet is my team. It's a group of five Puella Magi who fight to keep the Greater Mitakihara Area safe from Wraith attacks like this one. The two of you were once Puella Magi yourselves and one of our members vouched for you just a while ago. Because of that, I was hoping that the two of you would join my team as well."

Audrey somberly took another puff of her cigarette and blew out smoke as she said,

"Serafina and I  _were_  Puella Magi, but that was a long time ago. You both know we're from the Second World War, don't you? We don't know how we got here and we don't know why we're here."

Audrey then looked at Homura in the eyes and said,

"We also don't know how to become Puella Magi again, even if we wanted to."

Homura folded her arms but didn't seem to be discouraged in the slightest. Instead, she calmly replied,

"The two of you aren't the first magi from the Second World War that we recruited. Elise de Lamarliere is part of our team after all - the very same Elise you know from the Edificio Gumamela. She also appeared in Mitakihara as a normal person, but she is a Puella Magi once again - a talented one too, mind you."

Audrey hummed with curiosity, wondering just how Homura seemed to know Elise so well. She then took another puff of her cigarette as she said,

"That is true… but I hardly recognized Elise. She's still aloof and stern and refined, but her personality doesn't seem right. It felt more subdued than the pompous slave-driver I remember. Is that really her?"

When Audrey said this, Serafina chuckled and drew the American's attention. Serafina took a playful puff of her cigarette as she countered,

"I was just as confused about Elise- _tovarisch_  when I first saw her again a while ago. However, when I come to think about it, that was how Elise-tovarisch was way back in the day - long before you or Ligaya came to the Edificio Gumamela. It's a long story, but Elise- _tovarisch_  was like that up until the 1939 Manchukuo Incident after all. There's only one person who could have brought that old Elise back to the way she was."

The Ukrainian then turned to Homura and asked,

"The Mitakihara Quintet has a fifth member who isn't here, right? Could that person be Michi Hideyoshi, perhaps?"

Homura hummed with intrigue and said,

"She is. But I am curious - what made you think so?"

Serafina slyly shrugged and said,

"It's just a good guess. The bonds of those two run deeper than either of them think, after all."

Mami's eyes suddenly brightened up as she cried,

"That must be why the two of them managed to pull of a combination special right off the bat! I didn't realize those two were  _that_  close already."

Serafina eagerly nodded and agreed,

"I know, right? That Oriental sword that Elise- _tovarisch_  was carrying around is Michi- _tovarisch_ 's too, by the way."

Mami covered her mouth, barely able to hide her excitement from the things she was hearing but she still eagerly listened to the Ukrainian's embellished and increasingly trashy stories about the French knight and the naginata-wielder. The sight of that made Audrey's brow furrow as she glared at Serafina and mumbled,

"I know you're a dirty old lady, Serafina, but don't go putting strange ideas in Tomoe-san's head."

The American then leaned back and said,

"Speaking of old ladies, I don't remember seeing VP Yukinoshita here in the evacuation site."

Serafina hearty laughter faded into a serious silence as she glanced around the park. Just as Audrey said, she couldn't find the Vice President anywhere nearby. Serafine rubbed her chin and then said,

"You're right - I didn't see her around at all. She was supposed to be here today, wasn't she? VP Yukinoshita always stood out in a crowd after all - grey hair, pinstripe suit and a permanent scowl and all. We should have seen her by now."

Mami started to speak with concern,

"Are you two sure you checked everywhere in the building?"

The two ladies nodded and the Ukrainian came forward and said,

"We really checked every nook and cranny, but there was this one spot in the twelfth floor where I felt this strange magic. It was only for a little bit, but I felt the faint presence of illusion magic there - so faint that I nearly didn't notice it at all."

Mami's brow furrowed as she said,

"That doesn't sound like the work of a Wraith."

The golden-haired gunner then turned to Homura, but the time-traveler was standing there silently while a shadow hung over her eyes. Homura then turned away from Mami and the two ladies and then tucked locks of her hair behind her left ear and revealed her black, salamander-shaped earring with a bright purple gem as she spoke carefully chosen words,

"Did either of you enter the Vice President's office regardless?"

Serafina shook her head and said,

"There wasn't any door at all, Akemi-san. Now that I think about it, it's as if the Vice President's whole office disappeared."

When Serafina said this, the gem dangling from Homura's black earring shone much more brightly. The time-traveler tilted her head back and faced the three again, letting her purple gem sway back and forth like a pendulum as she insisted,

"The two of you checked every room and you have already saved everyone in Elysian Fashion. Burnham-san, Larivenko-san, the two of you must be tired after everything you've done - you too, Mami-san."

Homura's eyes glowed faintly pink while she spoke and the eyes of Audrey, Serafina and Mami glowed as well. An unnatural breeze then blew from out of nowhere, gently brushing the hair of the two magi and the two adults. The ashes of the two ladies' cigarettes fell off the stick and the concerned words that Mami and the two ladies melted away in their mouths.

The sudden wind came to pass and the pink glow in the eyes of the four fizzled away. Mami and the two ladies looked at each other with a dumbstruck look about them. The American then turned to Homura and bashfully asked,

"W-what were we talking about again?"

Homura innocently ran a hand through her hair again, letting her hair cover her purple earring as she said,

"Burnham-san and Larivenko-san were talking about paying a visit to Kaname-san in the hospital. Did you forget already?"

Serafina scratched her cheek as she thought out loud,

"Were we, now?"

Homura joined her hands behind her back and wore a practiced smile as she slyly assured

"You were. I was just about to ask Mami-san to accompany the two of you there. Shall I call a cab for the three of you? Kyouko, De Lamarliere-san and I can finish up things here."

Mami shrugged and then turned to the two adults with a bright smile as she said,

"Alright then, I'll accompany the two of you to the hospital. The two of you must have a lot of questions about all this too, after all. I'll do my best to answer them."

Homura called a cab for Mami and the two ladies and saw the three of them off. The time-traveler watched as the cab headed crossed the bridge over the Mitakihara River out of the Ninth District while columns of emergency vehicles poured in on the opposite lane.

Once the taxi was out of sight, Homura dropped her practiced smile and turned around to the Elysian Fashion building again with a serious expression. The time-traveler marched into the glass tower and climbed up the damaged spiral staircase with a sense of urgency about her.

* * *

**Sixtieth Act, Third Movement - A Cruel Diversion**

The footsteps of Homura Akemi echoed throughout the cylindrical stairwell of the desolate headquarters of Elysian Fashion Asia as she climbed up the staircase with haste. The time-traveler, alone with her thoughts, looked out to the sinkhole where the Mitakihara Police Department headquarters and its Panopticon Tower and furrowed her brow. All the while, the time-traveler felt a sinking feeling taking hold of her heart.

Homura knew that there was more to this assault than what she was seeing, but she didn't know what she was missing.

First of all, Homura never expected the Incubators to have as much control over the Wraiths as they did. Up until then, the Incubators only managed to open up rifts to draw out Wraiths in the evenings when the citizens of Mitakihara were most vulnerable. Once the Wraiths manifested, they would seek out negative energy on their own.

That afternoon, the Incubators were not only able to open up rifts in broad daylight, they were able to command them to tear off the Panopticon Tower and then demolish the rest of the police headquarters with deadly efficiency. By the time that Homura and her team arrived at the Ninth District, it was already late to save the police headquarters.

Without a doubt in her mind, Homura could tell that the attack on the Ninth District was a way for Ichibey and his posse to escape. However, Homura knew that Ichibey couldn't have come up with the plan on his own from the confines of the Panopticon Tower. That thought of hers then begged her to ask just who could have been helping the de-facto leader of the Incubators.

Suspicions floated around in Homura's mind as she made a mental note of people she wanted to 'talk' to once things finally calmed down. On top of that, the time-traveler was in a terrible mood.

Homura hopped over the destroyed section of the stairwell with a bit of magic and then landed on the twelfth floor landing. There, Homura saw the open doors to the inner hallway and the footsteps left behind by Audrey, Serafina and the other survivors on the floor. The lines traced by the golden ribbons laid down by the two adults remained too, even after the ribbons dissolved.

The time-traveler followed those ribbons and then saw the point where Serafina broke rank from Audrey. It was near the corner where Homura saw a blank wall where the door to the Vice President's office was supposed to be.

That wasn't right, Homura thought. The office of the Vice President, just like the office of the principal of the MJHS, was one of Homura's many hidden strongholds throughout the Greater Mitakihara Area - all of which were protected by a protective, magical barrier that Homura made herself.

The time-traveler then recalled that Serafina Larivenko relied heavily on illusion magic when she was a Puella Magi. That must have been why the Ukrainian magi recognized the illusion magic of Homura's barrier.

However, Homura knew that her barrier wasn't supposed to erase the doors to her strongholds altogether. The time-traveler sighed and then brought out her red-rimmed glasses and laid her hand over its lenses. Purple light then flashed and wrapped around the lenses and Homura put on her glasses to give the wall a second look.

The time-traveler's imbued glasses revealed the mahogany door to the Vice President's office to Homura, along with half a dozen powder blue paper charms hanging from the doorframe that weren't supposed to be there.

Homura's eyes sharpened with suspicion and she tore down the paper charms. As soon as she did, the foreign yet potent illusion magic that hid the door was dispelled. Homura took off her glasses and then looked at the torn paper charms in her hand. Her brow then furrowed as she crumpled the torn charms and mused to herself,

"This is Incubator technology… but not quite."

Homura clicked her tongue and slipped the torn paper charms into the pocket of her blouse. The time-traveler then stood before the doorway which reacted to her presence. The door unlocked and slowly opened itself for Homura, allowing her to step inside.

The door closed behind Homura on its own and the time-traveler regarded the office and the devastation that had taken place there. Though the rooms in the upper floors of the Elysian Fashion building showed signs of damage, the office of the Vice President looked as if it had been ravaged directly by a typhoon.

At the very least, Homura thought, her barrier still managed to keep most of the damage confined to the Vice President's office.

The reinforced glass walls of the office were imbued with Homura's barrier magic but an entire section of it was shattered. The wind was blowing into the office unhindered because of that. Hundreds of paper files from the opened filing cabinets were littered on the carpeted floor of the office while many more were flying out through the shattered glass walls.

Homura then saw two small craters on the carpeted floor where the spears of the Shugen Wraiths must have landed. The time-traveler scoffed and wondered just how powerful those spears were to have been able to break through her barrier.

Another gust of wind blew into the office and Homura noticed traces of what appeared to be black ash that had settled in the craters. The time-traveler then saw a warped lapel pin of Elysian Fashion Asia buried beneath the ash. Homura sighed and said,

"Farewell, Ibari."

Homura clicked her tongue. That was the place where Vice President Yukinoshita, the human form of her Clara Doll Ibari must have been standing where the spears broke through the barrier of the office. The spears found their mark and struck Ibari - almost as if the Wraiths knew that she was going to be there at that very spot.

Homura walked over to the shattered section of the glass wall and looked down upon the sinkhole that had swallowed the police headquarters. Judging by how the police didn't seem to fight back against the Wraiths, Homura figured that the police chief - the younger half of the Manuke twins - was also killed.

Not only did Ichibey manage to command the Wraiths to break them out of their prison, he ordered them to assassinate two of Homura's most senior Clara Dolls.

However, Ichibey didn't seem to be satisfied with just that. The de-facto leader of the Incubators had the Wraiths go after Junko Kaname as well, along with Audrey and Serafina. Homura knew that Wraiths sought for people with magical potential like the American and the Ukrainian, but the Wraiths had no reason to try to kill Junko Kaname unless they were told to do so.

Just what was Ichibey trying to accomplish?

Homura closed her eyes and tried to figure out the devious Incubator's plan. She believed that even Ichibey would have known that any resistance he put up with the Wraiths would have been futile since Homura wielded overwhelming power. Even without the powers that Homura took from Madoka, she and her allies had the arms and the magic to fight the battles of the Second World War many times over.

Weren't the Incubators always interested in preserving their existence? Homura knew that their collective consciousness had already broken down, so those creatures wouldn't have went along with Ichibey's plan unless they knew they had a chance of winning.

The time-traveler then folded her arms and felt the wind blowing into the office around her as she tried to put herself in the Incubators' shoes. The best way to fight her, Homura thought, would have been to exploit any and every weakness that she had.

When Homura realized this, the time-traveler suddenly felt a little light-headed. Her vision blurred for a moment as the magic that sharpened her eyes wavered for a moment before returning to normal.

Homura ran a hand through her hair and then transformed her black, salamander-shaped earring into her black-cased Soul Gem. The imposing purple gem floated before Homura's eyes and she saw that it had been all but completely drained of its brilliance.

How careless she was, Homura thought. The time-traveler realized she had been so wrapped up in responding to the Ninth District attack that she had forgotten to cleanse her gem. She used quite a bit of magic to stabilize Madoka's unconscious mother and she used her time-stop ability a number of times to battle the Wraiths. Homura also found herself having to manipulate the memories of Mami, Audrey and Serafina just a while ago as well.

Homura shook her head and then brought out her pouch of Grief Cubes. She emptied its contents - three dozen glassy cubes - and dropped them near her floating gem. The Grief Cubes floated around Homura's gem as well as they started to absorb its corruption, but Homura already knew that thirty-six cubes weren't going to be enough.

Thus, the time-traveler walked away from her gem and the Grief Cubes congregated around it and headed for the sturdy, albeit damaged mahogany desk at the center of the devastated office.

Every single one of her strongholds had a desk just like that one, Homura thought, and they were all strong enough to withstand just about any kind of assault. Homura was sure that if she sifted through the ruins of the Panopticon Tower, she would find the mahogany desk of the police chief there - damaged, but intact.

Most importantly, those desks were where she stored the vast stockpiles of Grief Cubes that she and the Mitakihara Quintet have been gathering from their many Wraith hunts. When Homura realized that, however, suspicion filled her heart again and she rushed towards the desk's drawers.

The time-traveler stood before the desk and waited for it to react to her - just like how the office door reacted to her presence. However, nothing happened. There was no trace of magical reaction whatsoever - almost as if the enchantment of the desk had been dispelled.

Homura gritted her teeth and then forcefully pulled the drawers open.

Inside those drawers, she saw dozens of pouches of different sizes - just like the one that Homura carried at her side. However, every single one of those pouches were empty.

Homura's heart skipped a beat and she then took a step back as rage swept through her entire being. The time traveler then set her hands under the open drawers of the desk and then roared as she threw the entire desk and turned it on its side in one motion.

When she did so, Homura saw a pack of Incubators there hiding in the spot below where the overturned desk once was. All the Incubators there were bruised and scarred - marks of their time enduring enhanced interrogation in the Panopticon Tower. Handsful of still unused Grief Cubes - leftovers from the empty pouches in the desk - littered the ground near the Incubators' paws.

The mastermind of the whole incident, Ichibey, was not among them - and neither was his reluctant second-in-command, Nibey. It was only at that time that Homura figured that the Ninth District wasn't Ichibey's true objective - and that Ichibey's insurrection was only just beginning.

A shadow loomed over Homura's eyes as she reached into the space behind her silver shield and then drew out an FN Minimi machine gun. Homura cocked the machine gun, scaring the Incubators into throwing themselves down onto the carpeted floor. The time-traveler then asked with a frigid growl,

"Do you really think that you deserve forgiveness at this point?"

Before the creatures could even respond, Homura pulled the trigger and mowed the pack Incubators down with relentless lead. Homura emptied the entire 200-round box magazine into the trapped creatures and crushed them into a mess of blood and flesh that sullied the carpet and the desk alike.

Homura tossed away the empty box magazine and clenched her fist as Ichibey's plan finally became clear to her. The leader of the Incubators wanted Homura to be there in the Ninth District, far away from his true objective - capturing her dearest friend and her greatest weakness of all.

_Madoka Kaname._

* * *

**Epilogue**

_One Hour Ago_

In the auditorium hall of the Mitakihara Junior High School, Nagisa Momoe was seated in the upholstered seats in the second floor. The white-haired trumpeter looked down to the polished hardwood floor where the amateur ballroom dancing competition leg of the school's Sports Day was going to take place - or rather, where the event was supposed to already be taking place.

Just a while ago, the student council president, Noe Ogasawara, walked onto the dancefloor and addressed the crowd with a microphone. The council president said that the competition was going to be delayed because of some technical difficulties. Nagisa, however, knew the real reason for the delays.

The lead dancer of the purple team, Homura Akemi, was not in the Mitakihara Junior High School campus. As a matter of fact, she was more than half an hour away and was leading a massive Wraith hunt on the other side of the Mitakihara River.

Nagisa then heard some people in the audience yawning from boredom in their seats while others were grumbling with disappointment. The white-haired trumpeter, on the other hand, turned to the two empty seats beside her with concern as she mused with a concerned tone,

"I hope Mami-neesan and Kyouko-neesan are alright…"

Wraith hunts weren't supposed to take as long as it was taking that afternoon, Nagisa thought. After Michi and Elise joined the Mitakihara Quintet, Homura's already powerful Wraith-hunting team became unstoppable. The white-haired trumpeter couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of enemy the Quintet was facing that held them back that well.

Nagisa shook her head and then turned to the dance floor once more. Noe Ogasawara retreated into the shadows, accompanied by a gaggle of student council members while Kazuko Saotome - the program coordinator - nervously paced back and forth. The plucky teacher was checking her WristComm for the time, worried that the hold up there was taking time away from the other events. Every wasted minute weighed down heavily on the teacher, making her sweat bullets.

Not far away from the nervous teacher, Nagisa saw Lorelei and Ligaya seated at the announcers' desk by the dance floor. They were there to represent the Broadcasting Club as the popular 'Thunder Sisters', but the bored crowd and the lack of news seemed to sap away at their energy. Neither of them seemed to have the courage to even crack a joke on the air to pass the time. After all, neither of them knew how many jokes they were going to have to crack before the competition got going.

Nagisa joined her hands together and whispered to herself,

"Hang in there too, Ligaya-neesan, Lorelei-neesan…"

In the midst of that uneasy scene, Nagisa suddenly heard the beeping of many WristComm devices throughout the auditorium. The white-haired trumpeter looked around and saw people bringing up formless screens from their devices to watch some sort of video that had spread throughout the internet.

Shocked yet muted gasps echoed in the auditorium as the people watched the videos, making Nagisa grow awfully curious.

The little trumpeter brought up her own WristComm and tried to look for the video that was riling the people up in the auditorium, but it wasn't at all hard to find. It was a poor-quality video with frequent cuts of static that was trending on nearly every social media site in Japan. The video showed what appeared to be the aftermath of a major earthquake that struck the Ninth District of Mitakihara, followed by the harrowing images of people falling to their knees en masse.

Most of the video viewers didn't know if it was some sort of prank propagated by online trolls, but Nagisa thought otherwise. The white-haired girl knew that it was the real deal - but that it wasn't an earthquake that hit the Ninth District. It was a Wraith attack larger than anything that Nagisa had ever seen.

The white-haired girl fearfully felt the silver ring on her middle left finger as she thought about what she should do. Should she rush over to the Ninth District herself and lend a hand? However, that would mean blowing the cover that she had kept for months.

Before the conflicted Nagisa could come up with an answer, however, she was approached by the cheerful figure of Hitomi Shizuki. The teal-haired girl, unlike anyone else in the auditorium seemed to be in good spirits and smiled for Nagisa as she said,

"You're Nagisa-chan, right? My name is Hitomi Shizuki and I'm a friend and classmate of Kyouko and Madoka. I'm also part of the planning committee for Sports Day. Were you here on your own?"

Nagisa shook her head and said,

"My Kyouko-neesan and Mami-neesan were here with me a while ago, but they said they had some urgent business or something."

"Hmm… is that so? Well, you see - Madoka asked me to come and check up on you for a little bit."

"Eh? Madoka-neesan did?"

"Yup! She was worried that you might get bored up here with all the delays and all. If you are bored, I apologize on behalf of the committee."

Nagisa shook her head and managed to hobble together a small smile for Hitomi as she said,

"Thanks for checking up on me, Hitomi-neesan. I am a little bit bored, but i'm alright. However… is this dance still going to happen? We've been delayed for almost half an hour now…"

Hitomi's smile grew a little brighter as she insisted,

"The show will go on, Nagisa-chan. There was a little bit of a kerfuffle in the dressing room, but all our dancers are here now."

All the dancers? Nagisa knew that Homura Akemi was nowhere near the campus that afternoon, so she wondered just what was Hitomi talking about. The teal-haired sophomore, however, happily turned to the dance floor and said,

"Here they come now!"

One by one, the couples of the blue, red and purple teams entered the dance floor. There were four couples per team competing and most of them were made up of people that Nagisa didn't recognize. The lead couple of the purple team, however, had the radiant figure of Madoka Kaname who wore her white, ballerina-inspired dress and had her hair tied back into a neat bun with a white, frilly scrunchie.

Madoka's poise and refined posture were captivating, draw the attention of the crowd away from their WristComms all at once. The radiant, pink-haired girl smiled at the crowd and the nervous whispers were silenced.

When the couples spread out and took their places on the dance floor, Nagisa finally saw Madoka's partner for the competition standing at the pink-haired girl's side. It was a girl with long black hair adorned with a familiar black headband. The partner was wearing the sharp, black tuxedo of the dance leader that prominently bore the couple's number on the back - the number '8'.

Lorelei and Ligaya at the announcers' desk quickly got to work and started to introduce the couples participating that afternoon. The Thunder Sisters energetically read out the names of the dancers and soon reached the eighth couple. Ligaya cleared her throat and then beamed as she said,

"For the main couple of the Purple Team - dancing as Couple #8 are Madoka Kaname from Class 2-1… and Homura Akemi who is also from Class 2-1!"

Madoka and her partner 'Homura' then bowed and were met with applause by the crowd. However, Nagisa already knew that that person wasn't Homura Akemi. The white-haired trumpeter gasped as the person's real name slipped from her lips,

"... Michi…neesan?"

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Episode 33 Preview**

The audience watches the dance floor with keen eyes,

All of them turn towards the radiant figure,

Whose smile can warm even the coldest heart.

**...**

I lead this figure in the dance with unworthy hands,

Following this music with undeserving feet,

Struggling with these steps that were not meant for me.

**...**

And yet, the radiant figure smiles for me.

She has been with me all along.

**...**

This was the Waltz of the Sleeping Goddess.

- _Michi Hideyoshi-_


	19. Waltz of the Sleeping Goddess

**Prologue**

_Four hours ago_

Under the shadow of a mulberry tree in a secluded nook behind the school auditorium, Sayaka Miki stood alone. The blue-haired saber-fighter impatiently folded her arms and closed her eyes as she leaned against the brick walls of the auditorium. Then, she felt the gentle breeze blow by the secluded nook. 

The leaves of the mulberry tree, along with the powder blue paper charms that hung from its canopy, rustled above Sayaka along with the white _judogi_ that she was wearing. Sayaka’s long, hair fluttered as well in the wind, forming the shape of a transient blue wing that swayed back and forth.

Before long, the breeze came to pass and the sound of fanfare from the school’s Sports Day festivities reached Sayaka’s ears once more.

The cheers of the students, faculty and visitors alike, together with the racket of the sports events in full swing, all sounded foreign and ironic to Sayaka. To the saber-fighter, those were noises that seemed to come from an entirely different world.

In Sayaka’s mind, that wasn’t entirely untrue.

Sayaka’s thoughts were elsewhere. She was waiting for another distinct sound - the uneven, albeit proud footsteps of a certain injured Incubator. The saber-fighter heaved a sigh and then moaned,

“Damn it. That bastard’s late…”

Was that creature - Ichibey - going to show up at all?

While Sayaka was starting to doubt her schedule, she suddenly heard a different pair of footsteps - the sound that standard-issue MJHS sneakers made when they parted the grass.

Sayaka opened her eyes and she saw the lithe figure of the freshman, Michi Hideyoshi, standing before her.

The Hokkaido native, just like Sayaka, was also wearing a _judogi_. Michi had no weapons with her and both of her hands swung at her sides in full view. There were no signs of the silver ring that Puella Magi wore or the turquoise blue gem that housed her soul either.

Just what was that girl trying to pull off? Sayaka could only wonder.

Still, Sayaka clicked her tongue and kept her guard. Michi Hideyoshi was the last person that Sayaka wanted to see, but the blue-haired sophomore did her best to keep a straight face. Sayaka’s blue eyes, however, still shot a veiled, dismissive glare at Michi.

The Hokkaido native stopped in her tracks but kept her hands at her sides. She kept a cautious, guarded stance but modestly called out to Sayaka,

“Miki-senpai.”

Sayaka didn’t reply. Instead, she just kept her dismissive glare on Michi.

Michi, however, was undaunted as she continued her spiel,

“It appears that we shall be matched against each other in the opening round for the judo event. You are the captain of the blue team, are you not?”

She then gave the sophomore a polite bow as she said,

“I look forward to having a good match with you, Miki-senpai.”

Sayaka furrowed her brow. Michi’s archaic speech and her courteous gestures hadn’t changed a single bit, and this ticked Sayaka off.

The girl standing before her truly was Michi Hideyoshi - the disgraced Caretaker of the Silver Garden. The genteel politeness and the mostly archaic speech was definitely Michi’s. It made Sayaka wonder if Michi bowed politely to the Devil and poured tea for her too when the Devil came to destroy the Silver Garden.

Just seeing Michi roused the bitterness in Sayaka’s heart. What in the world could Madoka have seen in the Hokkaido native? The saber-fighter simply couldn’t understand.

Sayaka gritted her teeth and peeled herself off of the brick wall. She then nonchalantly ran a hand through her hair and passed Michi by without saying a word.

Michi rose up from her bow and she saw Sayaka’s eyes looking past her - almost as if those eyes were saying that Michi didn’t exist. The sophomore’s long blue hair trailed behind her as she walked and it shrouded Michi’s face.

In Sayaka’s heart, Michi Hideyoshi was already dead. The other Puella Magi who remained on the Silver Garden and called it home - all eight million of them - were gone with the wind. The girl standing behind Sayaka was the girl who saw that tragedy happen and still chose to become a puppet of Homura Akemi.

Michi Hideyoshi was dead to her. That traitor’s fate was already sealed, Sayaka told herself, but that wasn’t enough for her.

Sayaka wanted to see the traitor suffer.

Sayaka wanted to see the traitor bleed.

The sophomore then felt the cloth of her _judogi_ and a sly smirk formed on her lips. It wouldn’t be long before Sayaka had a chance to see that happen.

Sayaka only had to still her heart a little while longer.

**…**

Not long afterwards, Sayaka found herself facing Michi again. This time, the two of them were inside the auditorium at opposite ends of the tatami floor of a judo ring. Once again, Michi had the conciliatory air about her without even a sliver of ill will from their earlier encounter.

Sayaka, however, didn’t trust her opponent’s posturing. It had to be a trap, she thought - some sort of trap for her to lower her guard.

There were many people watching there in the auditorium after all. The old friends who had forgotten Sayaka were all there. So were the handful of estranged allies that Sayaka had gathered to her side. Homura Akemi sat amongst that crowd at the second floor of the auditorium and she looked down onto the ring.

On the other hand, Madoka Kaname was sitting at a ringside bench with a first aid kit at her side.

It was a full house, Sayaka thought. Surely, her opponent - the puppet of Homura Akemi - wanted to defeat her in front of that crowd. Perhaps Homura wanted to have Michi make an example out of Sayaka there in the judo ring.

If that were the case, then Sayaka had no plans to give Homura that satisfaction.

Thus, Sayaka and Michi tied their hair into ponytails and stepped into the ring. The PE teacher separated the two girls and she quickly went over the rules with them again.

It was a five-minute match where a ‘ _Waza-ari_ ’ earns a half point while an ‘ _Ippon’_ earns a full point and wins the match. The teacher then stepped back and then had the two girls bow to each other.

Michi bowed again as usual and Sayaka had no choice but to return the gesture halfheartedly. That was the protocol after all - the stringent courtesy that came with judo as a sport. It was nothing like real combat, Sayaka thought, but it was a small price to pay.

Once Sayaka raised her head, she immediately charged towards Michi and started their five-minute clock. Michi went on the attack as well and the two closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

The two girls grappled on the tatami ring, testing each other’s strength and watching each other’s moves. They grabbed each other by the hands and wrists and tried to find an opening to strike.

Their clash brought Sayaka back to the many times that she and Michi sparred in the Silver Garden. That memory melted away the dark atmosphere of the two-story auditorium and transformed it into the verdant, summertime meadows of the Silver Garden.

The people in the audience were all replaced by the myriad of Puella Magi who had been saved by the Law of Cycles. Sayaka’s judogi turned into her blue Puella Magi attire as well.

Finally, Madoka herself transformed from her unassuming figure to that of the divine Goddess Madoka. Her hair grew out long in an instant and her clothes were replaced by the flowing, pearly white astral dress.

The Goddess then cheered,

“Sayaka-chan! Michi-chan! _Ganbatte!_ ”

In that vision, only Michi remained the same. The sophomore was still wearing her school judogi as she squared off with Sayaka.  It made Michi stick out like a sore thumb in Sayaka’s fantasy and it pushed her to fight even harder.

Sayaka knew that she had the advantage over Michi when it came to strength. Michi, however, was a seasoned warrior whose mettle had been tested in both World Wars. What strength Michi had, Michi knew how to use well.

The moment that Sayaka pushed back against Michi, the freshman skillfully shifted her balance and then caught Sayaka’s arm in a firm grip. Michi then stepped back, held Sayaka’s arm with both hands and then used the sophomore’s own momentum and strength against her.

Michi then threw Sayaka down with ease and the sophomore’s world turned upside down. Sayaka’s vision of the Silver Garden w as whisked away in an instant and she was dragged back into the dark scene and the bright lights of the school auditorium.

Sayaka landed on the tatami ring with a dull thud and the match clock stopped. The referee then raised up her arm to her side and called,

“ _Waza-ari_!”

Sayaka picked herself up from the floor with an expression of displeasure as the purple side of the auditorium cheered. She clicked her tongue and drowned out the cheering with her own thoughts as she promptly squared off against Michi again.

Michi was a leftie, Sayaka recalled. That was Michi’s naginata arm after all and she favored offense over defense often in battle. The Hokkaido native also used her speed to keep her enemies on their toes. Those were Michi’s strongest suites, so Sayaka figured that she should keep those in check.

As soon as the clock started again, Sayaka bolted towards Michi and grappled with her before the freshman could get into her rhythm. Sayaka focused her strength on Michi’s left hand and pushed back harder than before.

After a few tense moments, Michi’s strength started to waver and Sayaka gripped Michi’s hand tighter while twisting her arm.

Michi started to wince from the pain but she couldn’t break free from Sayaka’s vicegrip. She tried to use her right arm to push back but she simply couldn’t match Sayaka’s strength.

Suddenly, Sayaka let go of Michi’s right side and held her left arm with both hands. Sayaka followed through with a slip of her foot and then swept Michi off of her feet. With that, Sayaka tugged on Michi’s left arm and threw her down to the ground.

“ _Waza-ari!_ ”

The referee declared the half point for Sayaka. The match clock stopped and the blue side of the auditorium cheered that time around. They started to chant Sayaka’s name and their voices filled the auditorium.

It was intoxicating, Sayaka thought. The sound of the adoring crowd and the auditorium lights focused on her made her smirk.

In the eyes of the audience, Sayaka pulled off an equalizer in a pitched judo match. In Sayaka’s eyes, however, she had just thrown down the champion of the Devil who ruled the universe.

The sophomore felt the distant look of dissatisfaction from Homura in the audience and she relished in it.

However, what stirred Sayaka’s heart the most was the inkling of fear and dismay brewing in Michi’s once calm eyes.

The clock started a third time and the match continued.

In that round, Michi, cautiously kept her distance from Sayaka. Her stance had shifted from her left to her right and her attacking rhythm was nowhere to be found.

That was what Sayaka wanted to see.

Encouraged by her opponent’s sheepishness, Sayaka charged again and roared as she closed the distance between them again. The two of them grappled near the edge of the ring under the frigid glare of Homura Akemi.

‘Are you watching, transfer student?’

Sayaka grinned and caught Michi’s left arm with both hands again. Michi struggled in vain to break free as her right hand was powerless to stop Sayaka’s vicious assault. The sophomore twisted the freshman’s sore arm mercilessly again, dealing as much pain as she possibly could while holding her opponent in place.

A lesser person would have knelt and conceded the match right there and then, but Sayaka knew that she was still dealing with a Puella Magi. Michi wasn’t just any Puella Magi either.

This was the girl who once became the Dreadnaught Witch Walpurgisnacht.

With that in mind, Sayaka stepped back and pulled Michi by her left arm. The sophomore hoisted up her opponent on her back and then threw Michi down again with authority.

Another ‘ _waza-ari’_ was called for Sayaka and the cheers from the blue corner grew ecstatic. Their champion got the lead after all her opponent couldn’t seem to answer back anymore.

Michi was slow to get up from the tatami mat by then. Cuts and bruises started to appear on her cheeks and her left arm was stinging with pain. There wasn’t a lot of time left either with less than two minutes left on the clock. However, the Hokkaido native’s head was low but unbowed.

Sayaka scoffed. Michi didn’t know when to give up, she thought.

Michi and Sayaka squared off again and the clock started for the fourth time.

The two girls paced around the ring and tried to read each other’s movements again. Every twitch of their hands and every sway of their hips told a story that they both tried to anticipate. Sayaka was methodical as she tried to grapple with Michi once more, but the Hokkaido native patiently and skillfully deflected her attempts.

This was a stance that Sayaka had seen before, but she couldn’t recall what it was.

In the corner of her eye, Sayaka saw the Elise de Lamarliere stand up from her seat at the second floor. The French girl was holding her hands close to her heart as she watched. It was at that point that she recognized Michi’s stance. It was the same kind of stance that Elise often took during battle - a stance of indomitable defense.

Was Michi trying to become Elise?

How foolish, Sayaka thought. Michi was losing by half a point and the match clock was starting to burn out. How could Michi afford to stay on the defensive like that?

Michi was buying time for _something_ but Sayaka couldn’t figure out for what. Regardless, the spring in Michi’s step had grown dull and her fighting spirit had all but fizzled away in her eyes.

This was good enough for Sayaka, so she pressed the attack.

Sayaka charged and drove Michi to the corner of the ring again, forcing her into a grapple. Michi tried to push with her right while Sayaka attacked Michi’s left once more. The sophomore caught the freshman's left arm again and squeezed down on it until pain was written all over Michi's face.

If she can hold the Hokkaido native down like that for a little while longer, Sayaka thought, she would win.

However, as Sayaka was relishing in her fantasy, she suddenly felt Michi’s right foot slip behind her ankle.

The tide of the battle suddenly changed in a heartbeat. Michi braved through the pain and then pushed back against Sayaka with strong footwork. She kept her feet planted on the ground and steadily outmaneuvered Sayaka. Before long, Michi finally found an opening to attack.

Mustering every ounce of strength she had left, Michi grabbed Sayaka’s right arm with both hands. The freshman then roared as she hoisted Sayaka off of her feet and threw her down to the ground.

“ _Waza-ari_!” The referee cried.

Just like that, the match was tied at one point apiece and the purple corner erupted into cheers. Elise de Lamarliere, the girl who was supposed to be Sayaka’s ally, was up on her feet and cheering for the traitor - the enemy!

Sayaka disdainfully wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she picked herself up from the floor.

Elise's loyalty to Sayaka had always been questionable, the sophomore thought, so shouldn't have been surprised. The French girl always took Michi's side when they were still in the Silver Garden. She also happened to be Michi's Exemplar pro tempore.

When push comes to shove, Sayaka ruefully thought, the only one she could truly count on in that world was herself.

The rest of the world had already gone mad and she was the only sane one left.

Thinking that way lit a fire in Sayaka's heart as she took her position on the mat again. In those four and a half minutes, Sayaka managed to show the crowd a splendid display of judo. She managed to stand toe-to-toe with a veteran Puella Magi without having to use any of her magic.

But Sayaka wanted more.

Sayaka glared at Michi with livid eyes that threatened to pierce Michi’s very soul.

Those were the eyes of a berserker whose purpose had been forged in the fire burning in her heart. The fire made Sayaka’s objective absolutely clear to her. Sayaka was going to win that match - and she was going to annihilate the enemy standing before her.

With less than a minute on the clock, the referee stepped back and the match clock kicked back into motion one last time.

Sayaka wasted no time and dashed towards Michi at breakneck speed. The freshman tried to evade and dance around the ring as she did earlier, but Sayaka was a relentless flood that came hurtling towards her.

The sophomore cornered Michi again, forcing the freshman to brace herself for one last defensive effort. Michi kept her right side forward and started deflecting Sayaka’s grapples to burn the clock.

Sayaka, however, had enough of that game.

The sophomore lunged forward and forcefully swatted away Michi’s right hand. She bypassed Michi’s right arm then grabbed Michi’s vulnerable left in a swift motion that caught the freshman unprepared.

The sophomore clamped down on Michi's left arm and put every ounce of her strength into her grip as she twisted it once more.

Michi’s joints were being strained in dangerous angles that threatened to tear muscles and ligaments alike. The cuts that Michi had sustained beneath her _judogi_ were also being forced wide open, staining her left arm sleeve crimson red.

Michi had no escape. Her strength was leaving her and she knew she was at the mercy of the sophomore. Sayaka, in that moment, had the opportunity to do anything she wanted to Michi. A clean _waza-ari_ throw would have won her the match.

But again, that was not enough.

Sayaka turned around and the hoisted up her defenseless victim up onto her back. She carefully went through the motions and pulled Michi’s arm for a powerful and decisive throw. Then, once Michi was in the air, powder blue light flickered in Sayaka’s eyes.

She was tapping into her own magic, augmenting her already formidable strength.

Michi’s eyes shot open as Sayaka’s grip grew unnaturally stronger. The freshman was being thrown down on her battered left side with the full force of a Puella Magi's magic. The auditorium scene blurred in Michi’s eyes as she was flipped upside down at breakneck speed.

Then, she caught a glimpse of the wicked, beast-like smirk on Sayaka’s lips.

Michi hurtled to the ground with a powerful crash that displaced parts of the tatami floor. The crash echoed throughout the auditorium and silenced the entire crowd. It was a deafening, excruciating silence where everyone in the auditorium helplessly watched Michi writhing in pain as her blood painted the tatami floor red.

The freshman tried to cry out in pain, but she coughed out blood instead.

The referee was frozen in shock like everyone else in the auditorium, but she had no choice but to declare,

“ _I-Ippon!_ ”

The match was over.

Sayaka humiliated her foe and stopped just short of completely breaking her. Sayaka earned a full point and she won the decisive victory that she had been looking forward to.

Why, then, did she feel so empty?

Moments later, Sayaka found the answer.

Madoka Kaname sprung up from her ringside seat with her first aid kit in tow. The pink-haired girl rushed past Sayaka with the beginnings of tears in her eyes and her eyes never turned Sayaka’s way. Instead, Madoka hurried over to Michi’s side and tended to her.

It wasn’t just Elise de Lamarliere who always took Michi’s side. The Goddess Madoka herself held Michi in high regard as well. That fact left a feeling of cold bitterness that stewed in Sayaka’s heart.

All eyes in the auditorium were turned to the suffering Michi Hideyoshi - save for the eyes of one person. That person had her eyes fixed solely on Sayaka Miki instead.

It was Homura Akemi.

Sayaka’s eyes met with Homura’s for a brief moment of silence. It was almost sympathetic. Before Sayaka could make any sense of it, however, Homura turned away and made her way out of the auditorium. Elise and the other girls in Homura’s company followed suit.

A shadow hung over Sayaka’s eyes and she stormed off of the tatami ring.

* * *

  **Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**Waltz of the Sleeping Goddess**

* * *

**Sixty-first Act, First Movement - I’ll Leave It To You**

Madoka Kaname sprinted towards the writhing Michi on the tatami floor of the judo ring and knelt beside her.

The pink-haired sophomore was the nurse’s assistant, but seeing one of her friends writhing and bleeding on the floor and writhing in pain made her squirm. There were plenty of cuts and bruises on Michi’s cheek, but there were more hidden behind the bloody left sleeve of her _judogi_ as well as the freshman’s side.

Madoka may have been the nurse’s assistant, but her own hands were trembling and she had trouble opening the first aid kit she had brought with her. She then took a deep breath and willed herself on as she turned to the referee and cried,

“S-stretcher! Sensei, please get Michi-chan a stretcher!”

The referee nodded and hurried off to find a stretcher, leaving Madoka alone with Michi on the mat.

Madoka had seen many sports injuries in the past - from contact sports to the ballroom dancing competitions that she joined in the United States. The beating that Michi took in that exchange was the kind that could have ended the career of many athletes for life.

She didn’t even want to know what kind of pain Michi was feeling right there and then - so Madoka wanted to do what she could to help her.

“Michi-chan, it’s okay now. I’m here for you.”

“Kaname… senpai…”

“There, there - let me see the wounds under your sleeve.”

Madoka rolled up the sleeve of Michi’s judogi and saw the mess of blood that had stained the skin of the freshman’s arm. However, the cuts and bruises that she saw were nowhere near as bad as what she expected. Most of the bleeding had stopped as well. The crippling injuries, or lack thereof, dumbfounded Madoka so she dared to ask,

“Can you move your arm, Michi?”

Michi nodded and struggled a little bit, but she managed to move it after a while. Madoka held her breath and then continued to ask,

“What about your hand? Your fingers?”

“It... hurts too much to move, but... I can move them.”

Madoka gave Michi a careful once over and she looked for any other telltale signs of severe injuries, but there really were none. The freshman was in pain, but she was breathing normally. Michi’s bones, from where Madoka knelt, seemed to be intact. There was also hardly any swelling so internal bleeding was out of the question too.

It didn’t make sense to Madoka, but it didn’t have to. She gently laid a relieved hand on Michi’s arm and tearfully said,

“Thank goodness! You’re going to be alright. I can patch you up.”

The referee returned to the scene with the stretcher, but Michi slowly shook her head and croaked,

“It’s… alright…, Kaname-senpai. I can stand. I… just need a little help.”

“Okay then, I’ll help you up.”

With that, Michi picked herself up from the tatami ring and managed to sit upright. Madoka then held Michi by the side and helped her rise up.

The freshman was limping and was leaning heavily to her right, but this was nothing short of a miracle in Madoka’s eyes. Thus, the two of them made their way out of the main auditorium hall.

“Michi-chan. You guys have a sofa in the spare storeroom nearby, right?”

“We do, Kaname-senpai… and… the sofa is actually just about… as comfortable as the clinic beds.”

“Is it now?” Madoka chuckled, “Alright then. I’ll take you there for now.”

Moments later, however, a somber expression grew on her face as she said,

“I’m sorry about what happened just now, Michi-chan.”

“About what exactly, Kaname-senpai?”

“About Sayaka-chan. I had a feeling that she didn’t like you after she shoved you back at the Hanasou before… but the way she fought you just now isn’t right. Seeing that broke my heart.”

The pink-haired sophomore wistfully looked out the windows of the auditorium corridor as she continued,

“Sayaka-chan’s always been hot-headed. She’s been like that since we first met in kindergarten. She was like that when we parted ways in elementary. Despite that, she wasn’t the kind of girl who’d take her frustrations out on someone else like a while ago. Sayaka-chan’s changed. I hardly recognize her anymore.”

Madoka’s eyes then wandered over to Michi’s battered left arm and the bloodied _judogi_ sleeve that covered it and said,

“Sayaka-chan was trying to hurt you as much as she could. She was clearly targeting your left side. She even went for a powerful ‘ _ippon_ ’ at the end when she was already winning - and she made sure you landed in the worst possible way.”

Madoka then stopped in her tracks together with Michi. The sophomore then turned to the freshman she was helping and tried to explain,

“I couldn’t help but think that Sayaka was fighting… or rather, thinking about fighting someone else - something else. It’s hard for me to put it into words, but there was someone else on her mind. That could have just been my imagination though…”

Michi turned to Madoka as well and then asked,

“Who... do you think she had in mind?”

Madoka wore an uneasy smile at first but she soon shrugged,

“Who knows?”

The two girls then reached the doors of the spare storeroom at the end of the corridor - the unofficial ‘secret base’ of the Hanasou girls. Madoka opened the door for them and helped Michi limp over to the couch in the middle of the room.

Michi sat down on the couch and then, with Madoka’s help, took off her bloodied _judogi_ and the t-shirt that she wore under it. That gave Madoka a better look at Michi’s injuries.

Just as Madoka thought, Michi’s injuries were much milder than she first expected. The cuts and bruises on Michi’s side had also already mostly healed. Madoka was supposed to disinfect and seal those wounds but there wasn’t much for her to do.

Still, Michi’s wounds were fresh and Madoka was still going to treat them.

The pink-haired nurse’s assistant left the spare storehouse for a moment and returned with a bowl of water and a sponge to wash the blood off of Michi’s skin. She then meticulously disinfected Michi’s wounds and bandaged them where she could.

Madoka paid special attention to Michi’s left arm and left hand. The sophomore opened up a new package of cloth bandage and prepared a makeshift cast for Michi.

All the while, her old friend’s ill intent lingered on Madoka’s mind.

“Say, Michi-chan. Do you think Sayaka-chan’s acting this way because of me?”

Michi tried to sit up from where she lay to say no, but she held her tongue. The Hokkaido native knew the answer to Madoka’s question, but she didn’t feel like she was in a position to answer her. The freshman’s cautious reaction caught Madoka’s eye, so the sophomore wore a small, encouraging smile and urged,

“You can be honest with me, Michi-chan. Even someone like me isn’t blind, you know. I can tell that I’m not far off. It’s true, isn’t it?”

Michi sheepishly nodded her head and chose her words as she replied,

“I think that Miki-senpai still feels bitter about being… separated from you three years ago. That was beyond our… I mean, beyond your control, so she should not blame you for that.”

“Michi-chan…”

“It’s just like you said, Kaname-senpai. She is fighting someone - something else, and I feel that she has chosen to fight that battle on her own. I also do not know what it is she is going through, but we cannot force ourselves to help her. I have tried to reach out to her, but this was the result.”

A peaceful expression then formed on Michi’s face as she added,

“When Miki-senpai does plan to make amends though, I would be more than happy to forgive her. I will keep that door open for her. That is the best I can do for now.”

Madoka thoughtfully hummed. Then the small smile on her lips grew warm as she muttered,

“You and I really do think alike sometimes.”

“What was that, Kaname-senpai?”

“O-oh, nothing! I was just thinking out loud~! In any case, I’ve finished bandaging your hand and your arm. It might still be painful to move for now, so just let it rest and heal on its own, okay?”

Michi returned Madoka’s smile and said,

“Thank you, Kaname-senpai.”

“No problem, Michi-chan!”

Madoka nodded and started packing up her first aid kit.

As she was rolling up the rest of the bandages, the door of the spare storeroom swung open and Elise de Lamarliere appeared behind it.

The cool and calm composure that Elise normally had about her was clearly tarnished as she had a worried expression on her face. The French girl saw Madoka’s head popping up from behind the sofa, so she promptly asked,

“Kaname-san. Michi is there with you, isn’t she? Is she alright?”

Madoka turned to Elise and then beamed at the French senior as she confirmed,

“Yup! Michi-chan is here with me, Duramayue-senpai! I just finished treating her wounds too, though I didn’t have to do too much, really. Thank goodness!”

The nurse’s assistant then stood up and held her first aid kit in both hands and happily teased,

“But I’m sure that Michi-chan will start feeling much, much better now that you came to see her, senpai~!”

Michi promptly shifted in the sofa and profusely chided,

“W-what are you talking about, Kaname-senpai!? Please stop making strange conclusions!”

Madoka’s smile grew wry as she snickered,

“ _Wehihi~_ but I’m not making any conclusions, Michi-chan!”

The sophomore then traced a circle around her own lips while facing Michi. It was as if she was saying, ‘ _the smile you’re wearing doesn’t lie~!_ ’

Michi’s face was flushed red and she wanted to argue again with Madoka. However, Elise suddenly went over to the sofa and then knelt by Michi’s side. The French senior gently laid a hand on Michi’s makeshift cast and then wore a smile for the freshman as she said,

“I’m glad you are alright, Michi.”

The embarrassed Michi couldn’t look Elise straight in the eye and she felt her cheeks growing warm.

It was only then that Michi realized that she practically had no top on save for a sports bra. She promptly tried to cover herself with her right arm.

Madoka put a hand on her hip and muttered,

“She wasn’t conscious when it was just me.”

The sophomore then craftily smiled and asked,

“Duramayue-senpai, do you mind finding Michi-chan something to wear? I washed her shirt a bit, but it still has to dry - you see.”

Elise hummed and then unzipped her tracksuit jacket. She then handed it over to Michi and calmly offered,

“It might be a little large, but this should do for now.”

Michi sheepishly accepted Elise’s offer with a nod. She was about to try and wear Elise’s jacket when the French girl dutifully helped Michi into it. The French girl took special care to not hurt Michi’s bandaged left arm as well.

The jacket was warm, Michi thought. The warmth wrapped around the freshman and brought a sense of calm about her.

Madoka smiled when she saw this and trumpeted,

“It looks like my job here is done. Duramayue-senpai. I have to get back to the auditorium hall now so I’ll leave Michi-chan in your hands.”

Elise nodded to Madoka and dutifully promised,

“I’ll take care of Michi, Kaname-san.”

Madoka’s smile grew even warmer as she knowingly chuckled,

“I know you will~! Make sure Michi-chan gets plenty of rest and she’ll feel much better for sure, okay?”

Elise firmly nodded again. The sophomore nodded back and then made her way to the door of the spare storeroom. When she reached the threshold and opened the door, however, Madoka turned around and happily asked,

“By the way, if Michi-chan is up for it later, I want the two of you to watch me and Homura-chan at the dance competition! We’ve been practicing really hard for this so I’m sure you guys will like it! It would mean the world to me!”

* * *

  **Sixty-first Act, Second Movement - The Phantoms of Manchukuo**

Elise sat down at the foot of the sofa where Michi laid and the two girls basked in the calm silence of the spare storeroom. Every so often, the muffled cheers of the crowd coming from the auditorium hall down the corridor reached their ears, but it was otherwise pleasantly quiet.

It was only minutes later that Elise finally broke the silence between them to ask,

“You know, Michi. It would have been simpler if you completely healed yourself with magic.”

The French girl then summoned her Soul Gem with a flash of lilac light and then cradled it in her hands as she said,

“Since the Goddess… I mean… since Kaname-san isn’t here anymore, I can heal you up.”

“Thank you for your concern, Elise, but it is alright. It pays to be prudent, you see. I have already healed my critical injuries, so I can leave these smaller ones to conventional medicine and rest. We ought to conserve magic whenever we can.”

Elise dissolved her Soul Gem and she leaned against the foot of the sofa as she reminisced,

“Conserving magic, huh? I haven’t heard you say that since our time in Manchukuo.”

“Is that so?”

“It is, Michi. Those weren’t the best of times, but you helped pull us through that ordeal. We may have ended up on the opposite sides of history after then, but I never once forgot what you did for me. Which is why I...”

Elise cut herself short as she thought about her words. Michi noticed the pause and asked,

“What’s wrong, Elise?”

A complex expression formed on Elise’s face, but she kept her back turned to Michi as she said,

“To tell you the truth, there has been something bothering me lately. It has something to do with Manchukuo… and Miki-san.”

Michi tried to sit upright when she heard this, but Elise urged the freshman to stay put and rest. The French girl leaned back against the foot of the sofa again and urged,

“Please keep this between us Michi. Promise me that you won’t tell Akemi-san about this. You’re one of the few people whom I can trust in this world, so please…”

“You have my word, Elise. Now, please tell me what’s wrong.”

“As you may already know, Miki-san hasn’t forgiven Akemi-san for what she has done - to her, to us, to the Silver Garden. Because of that, Miki-san has been organizing a resistance against Akemi-san. She is gathering strength to herself to force Akemi-san to recognize her and to negotiate with her.”

Michi was appalled by the thought as she replied,

“Miki-senpai is going that far!? There’s no need for her to use force. I just need a little bit more time to set the record straight with Homura-san. I’m doing what I can to get Homura-san to sit down with us - with everyone - to resolve this.”

“I know that, Michi. I know that you’ve been working hard - and it’s showing. Akemi-san has been much happier now than she has ever been. Miki-san, on the other hand, has been heading in the opposite direction. Miki-san doesn’t trust Akemi-san and - by extension - you.”

A shadow hung over Elise’s eyes as she continued,

“After seeing what happened at the judo match earlier, I believe that Miki-san’s resentment for the both of you may run deeper than I thought.”

“That is unfortunate. I was well aware of Miki-san’s resentment even before our battle today. However, what does this have to do with Manchukuo, Elise?”

Elise paused again and then looked out the window of the spare storeroom with a haunted air about her. She then said,

“The more that I think about it, Miki-san is reminding me more and more of the Carissima of Manchukuo - Lianmeng Hou.”

“Lianmeng… Hou…”

Michi frowned when she heard that name. It was a name that, even in the Silver Garden, she did not like to hear. The Carissima of Manchukuo, after all, was the deranged girl who sacrificed hundreds of Puella Magi - and thousands more unsuspecting young girls in the city of Hsinking - to further her morbid research on the human soul.

Elise took Michi’s stark silence as a signal to continue,

“For the longest time, Miki-san has been saying that she wants to bring a peaceful resolution to all of this but her actions are telling me an entirely different story. I can tell that she is obsessed with the idea of winning a decisive victory over Akemi-san. We both understand that fighting Akemi-san outright means obliteration. That’s why you wanted to negotiate with rather than fight her, isn’t it?”

“Just what in the world do you think is going on through Miki-san’s mind, Elise?”

“I wish I could tell you, Michi. I have a suspicion that Miki-san is hiding something from me - the same way that Lianmeng Hou started hiding things from the other Carissimas and from Lorelei Sankt during our Salvae days. It makes me wonder if… Miki-san got her hands on Lianmeng Hou’s research.”

“That’s impossible, Elise. We burned down Lianmeng Hou’s laboratory - and the entire Manchukuo Branch along with it! There should be nothing left of her ungodly research. The two of us even watched Goddess Madoka make Lianmeng Hou forget her research when we brought her up to the Silver Garden.”

“That may be true, Michi, but I believe that there was no way Lianmeng Hou could have made such ‘progress’ on her own. She was a brilliant magi who advanced Salvae’s understanding of magic in the interwar years, but the things that she was researching in Manchukuo was out of this world. I may also be guilty of heinous crimes during the Second World War, but the things that Lianmeng Hou did still makes my stomach turn to this day!”

Elise then turned around and faced Michi and speculated,

“I’m afraid that the Incubators may have been involved then - and that they may be involved with Miki-san now.”

Michi’s lips crumpled into a grim frown. She remembered seeing Incubators locked up in the Panopticon Tower, but she hasn’t seen one out and about ever since she arrived in Mitakihara. In spite of that, the Incubators were somehow still able to strengthen the Wraiths that attacked the city. The stronger Shugen Wraiths started to appear and even the lesser Wraiths started adapting to their tactics.

The freshman then replied to Elise,

“If your suspicions are true, then Miki-san may be dealing with something that she might not fully understand. I cannot tell you much about it, but the world is hanging on a delicate balance, Elise. I won’t tell Homura-san about what you have told me, but I will need to talk Miki-san out of this madness - and I want… and need you to accompany me. Lianmeng Hou’s research started the Second World War. I don’t want it to come back and start the Third.”

Elise gave Michi a firm nod and then promised,

“I’ll try to set up a meeting for you as soon as I can. I’ll be counting on you when the time comes. But for now please rest. Kaname-senpai wants still wants us to see her dance after all.

Michi managed a smile as a reply,

“But of course. Thank you for being here with me, Elise.”

* * *

**Sixty-second Act - The Distant Storm**

A little over an hour later, Michi awoke on the sofa after a short nap. By then, the pain that she felt in her left arm and hand had mostly subsided. However, Michi’s thoughts lingered on the things that Elise revealed to her and the candid conversation that she had with Madoka.

The Hokkaido native stared at the ceiling and recalled the happy-go-lucky Sayaka that she met in the Silver Garden. Just like Madoka sensed, Sayaka Miki had changed from what she and Michi remembered. That contrast made Elise’s deductions make more sense, but it didn’t sit well with Michi at all.

If Homura saw the picture that Michi was piecing together, she wouldn’t have liked it either.

She had to talk to Sayaka about the folly of Lianmeng Hou as soon as possible, and Homura didn’t have to know. The sooner she could set the records straight with Sayaka, the better.

Michi then turned over to her side and saw that Elise was still seated there at the foot of the sofa. Judging by the way that Elise’s head was bobbing back and forth, the French girl must have dozed off as well.

Just like her, Elise had her hands tied in many regards but she was doing her best. Dealing with Sayaka Miki must have been just as hard as dealing with Homura Akemi. Elise’s heart was in the right place and that was what mattered.

The freshman then instinctively raised up her left hand to check the time, but she recalled that she took off her WristComm before the judo match - and that her entire left arm was wrapped up in a makeshift cast of cloth bandages.

Thus, Michi carefully sat upright to look for her device. She didn’t have to look far, however, and found her device on the sleeping Elise’s person. It was on top of Michi’s own tracksuit and a spare shirt which were neatly folded into squares on the French girl’s lap.

When Michi shifted about, the French girl groggily opened her eyes and turned towards her sitting roommate. A smile broke out on Michi’s face as she greeted,

“Good morning, Elise.”

Elise winced and grumbled,

“It’s the afternoon already, dummy.”

“I know. I just wanted to say _good morning_ to you.”

The French girl tilted her head, not sure what Michi was trying to say. Instead, she simply handed Michi her clothes and her device as she urged,

“Come on now Michi, let’s get you dressed up. Then, we can grab some lunch.”

Michi nodded and she started to take off the large tracksuit that Elise had lent her a while ago. While she was getting undressed, however, the door to the spare storeroom opened.

The freshman promptly covered herself up again as she and Elise turned to the door to find the figure of Homura Akemi beyond the threshold.

The time-traveler’s eyes met with Michi’s then Elise’s as she marched into the room with a sense of urgency. Mami Tomoe and Kyouko Sakura followed behind her and even they had an unnaturally grim air about them. The usual spring in their steps were nowhere to be found, replaced with the stiffness of warriors before a battle.

Elise stood up from where she sat and faced the three to ask,

“Is there something wrong, Akemi-san?”

Homura stopped behind the sofa and faced Michi and Elise as she reported,

“There’s a Wraith attack going on right now at the Ninth District, Duramayue-san. We’re deploying right away so get ready to leave.”

Elise faced Homura with a confused expression as she asked,

“A Wraith attack in the afternoon? Don’t Wraiths only attack at night?”

Mami then came forward and replied,

“Wraiths _should_ only be attacking at night, but there have been rare instances of afternoon attacks before you and Hideyoshi-san joined the Quintet. But it’s not the timing that worries me - it’s the magnitude.”

Elise’s brow crumpled. Then, she asked,

“What do you mean by the magnitude?”

Kyouko then put her hands on her hips and explained,

“This attack’s all over social media right now - there’s videos and what not. Check your devices, you’ll see lots of em!”

Elise was still in disbelief, but she tapped the face of her device and brought up a formless screen. A myriad of new trending  video notifications then came of up on Elise’s apps. She opened the first video she saw - a live feed of the Ninth District of Mitakihara.

It was a poor-quality video feed that looked like a scene straight out of a badly-shot B-movie.

The video showed the busy center of the Ninth Mitakihara District at the intersection near the Mitakihara Police headquarters. There, the video was focused on the Panopticon Tower of the police headquarters which was being torn off of the main building by an unseen force.

Sweat formed on Michi’s brow as she watched the video feed. She then turned to the three girls and asked,

“How is this possible? Wraiths are ethereal beings. They shouldn’t be able to manipulate the physical world - let alone cause damage like that!”

Homura shook her head and then explained,

“From what I have seen, the ethereal disconnect with the physical world has only applied to the lesser Wraiths. The Shugen Wraiths are capable of dealing lasting damage to its surroundings. They damaged a part of the quay where we saved De Lamarliere-san. They also damaged the area around the Hanasou Dormitory when you and De Lamarliere-san repelled their attack. But the damage they have dealt thus far was minor - negligible. Until today.”

Homura’s eyes then locked with Michi’s as she emphasized,

“This attack is different. They’re tearing off an entire wing off of a building. Following that logic, there may be more than one Shugen Wraith that emerged in this attack - and that would mean that everyone in the Ninth District is in grave danger. That is why we have to deploy immediately.”

Elise nodded and she walked on over around the sofa to join the three girls. When Michi stood up from the sofa, however, Homura gestured her to stay put. The time-traveler then shook her head and ordered,

“You’ll be staying here at the school, Michi.”

Homura turned over to Elise and the others and prodded,

“Go on ahead, you three. I need to talk to Michi for a little bit, so I’ll catch up with you once I’m done.”

Mami cautiously interjected,

“But if the attack at the Ninth District is as bad as it seems, then shouldn’t we deploy with full force? People’s lives are at stake here, Akemi-san!”

Homura faced Mami sternly and insisted,

“People’s lives _are_ at stake here, Mami. That is why I need to talk to Michi, and why the three of you should get going. I’ll catch up.”

Mami sighed, but she obliged and led Elise and Kyouko towards the door. Michi, however, urged them to stop once again,

“Wait a minute, Elise - before you go…”

The freshman got off of the sofa and then quickly reached underneath it. She then brought out her katana and its scabbard and held it with both hands as she offered,

“Take this with you. Stay safe.”

Elise graciously received the katana and scabbard with both hands and she nodded. Then, the French girl telepathically whispered to Michi,

“ _Stay safe as well_.”

With that, Elise tied the sword and scabbard to her hip and she headed out of the spare storeroom with Mami and Kyouko. The three closed the door behind them, leaving Michi alone with Homura.

Once the rest of the Quintet was out of earshot, Homura paced over to the window of the spare storeroom and joined her hands behind her back as she finally spoke her mind,

“This is a mess, Michi. The Clara Dolls I’ve embedded in the media are doing their best to downplay the stories and to block out those videos from the mainstream and I’ve had the Ninth District closed off to civilians, but we can’t simply censor this forever. We have to end this circus before it gets out of hand.”

“I understand that, Homura-san, but why don’t you want me to deploy with the Quintet? My injuries have already mostly healed and it will only take a spot of magic to…”

Homura interrupted Michi and then said,

“You will be here to defend the school campus - and to make sure that Madoka is safe. I also want you to make sure that she doesn’t hear a word about what’s happening in the Ninth District. You’re the only one I can trust with this task.”

“I shall protect Kaname-senpai with my life, but why do you have to hide the assault from her?”

Homura turned around to face Michi and explained,

“Madoka’s mother, Larivenko-san and Burnham san are all at Elysian Fashion right now.”

“Elysian Fashion... that’s… that’s only two blocks away from the police station!”

“Exactly, Michi-san. The Wraiths are assaulting the Panopticon Tower right now, but they will turn their attention to Elysian Fashion before long.”

“But the police chief… Manuke the younger… she can fight the Wraiths too can’t she?”

“Indeed she could have. But if the silence of the entire police headquarters is any sign of what to expect, then i fear that Manuke the younger may no longer be with us. The Mitakihara Quintet will be on its own - and it will be a vicious battle for sure.”

Homura then ran a hand through her hair and said,

“But this mess will only get worse if Madoka catches wind of this incident. She might manifest into her divine form from the shock. Should that happen, tremendous amounts of energy will be drained from the universe and… the universe may very well collapse. At that point, even I might not be able to stop it.”

Michi looked into Homura’s eyes, but the time-traveler didn’t look like she was lying. As a matter of fact, tinges of emotion started spilling into Homura’s stern speech as she implored,

“So please... keep Madoka occupied until I return. Protect Madoka. Protect your Goddess. Protect my dearest friend with your life and your soul and every fiber of your being!.”

Homura then pointed to the purple ribbon on top of Michi’s folded tracksuit and added,

“Use every ounce of your strength and every bit of power that I have given you to see this through. Madoka trusted you in her time of need. I’ve decided to do the same - so don’t let me down.”

* * *

**Sixty-third Act - Am I Precious To This World?**

Michi, still clad in Elise’s large jacket, saw Homura and the rest of the Mitakihara Quintet off as they hurried over towards the Ninth District. Far away in the distance, Michi could see the clouds of dust and soot rising to the air from the direction that her friends were headed towards. The siege of the Ninth District had already begin - and she already knew the culprit.

Ichibey.

The freshman then turned around and faced the brick walls of the school auditorium again. Could Sayaka Miki have also been involved in the attack on the Ninth District? The sophomore dropped out of the judo contest after she won the first round and no one had seen her ever since.

However, Michi thought that even the distrustful Sayaka wouldn’t have helped with, let alone ordered an assault on a busy city center. Not when Madoka’s family and her family friends would be caught in the crossfire.

With every minute, the number of questions that Michi had for Sayaka grew. Michi would have wanted to talk to the blue-haired sophomore right there and then, but there was no time for that. Her priority that afternoon was protecting Madoka Kaname - and she was going to devote herself to that mission.

Michi marched back into the main auditorium hall. There, she saw that most of the bright spotlights had been turned off and the tatami mats of the judo ring were being dismantled and replaced with sheets of polished hardwood. The judo competition finished half an hour ago and the amateur dance competition was being being prepared.

Aside from the school maintenance staff, Michi noticed a somber figure watching the transformation of the auditorium. Michi approached the figure in the dim light and saw that it was Madoka Kaname.

The pink-haired sophomore was already wearing her white dancing dress and her hair was already tied up neatly into a bun, but she was wearing a tracksuit jacket over her clothes. Madoka noticed Michi approaching, so she turned to the freshman and smiled,

“Ah, you seem to be doing much better now Hideyoshi-san.”

In spite of the dim lights, Michi could tell that there were cracks in the sophomore’s smile. There were the beginnings of tears in Madoka’s eyes as well and she seemed to be feeling cold. The tracksuit jacket that she was wearing was a size too large for her as well, but she was holding it by the seams as if it were something precious.

Madoka noticed Michi looking at her hands, so the sophomore laughed awkwardly and explained,

“This isn’t my jacket. It’s Homura-chan’s.”

When she mentioned Homura’s name, however, her already fragile smile crumbled under its own weight as she continued,

“Homura-chan came to me just a while ago all of the sudden and said that there was something that she had to do. She wouldn’t say how long she would be gone for. She didn’t say where  she was going. Homura-chan’s been gone for half an hour now and the dance competition will be starting soon. It’s only a matter of time now, but I don’t know if she’ll make it back.”

The sophomore then held her left wrist in her right hand. She felt her WristComm device there and continued,

“I also got a call from mama. She said that she suddenly had to go to work - on a Sunday! It’s some sort of a surprise audit - and Auntie Audrey and Auntie Serafina were tied up in that too. Those meetings take pretty long, so I’m not sure if they’ll be able to make it here in time either.”

Michi opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but she simply couldn’t find the words to tell Madoka. Thus, Madoka turned back to the dance floor under construction and lamented,

“Homura-chan and I worked really hard on this, but she suddenly disappears like this. I don’t understand it.”

Madoka then looked up to the dim lights of the auditorium and sighed,

“The world is precious to me, Michi-chan. But I wonder if I’m precious to this world in return. I’m just an average girl who isn’t at all that special. Sometimes, I feel as if I’m just being a burden to everyone around me.”

This time, Michi stepped forward and countered,

“That is certainly not true, Kaname-senpai! You are… you are much, much more precious than you realize!”

Madoka turned her head towards Michi as she curiously muttered,

“... Michi-chan?”

Michi, however, didn’t shy away. She held her ground and spoke with a firm voice,

“You may not believe me, Kaname-senpai, but I know for a fact that you are loved - and that you are loved dearly. Knowing your mother and your two aunties, I’m sure that the moment they get a chance to slip out of their office, they will do so - just so they can see you dance. They wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

The Hokkaido native then smiled as she continued,

“Your father and little Tatsuya-kun have also been here for you since the very first event. Saotome-sensei is rooting for you too - even if she isn’t supposed to - along with all your classmates.”

Michi then laid a hand over her heart and pledged with passion,

“I am rooting for you too - and so is Homura-san. That, I can assure you.”

A small smile permeated Madoka’s troubled expression and the spotlights in the auditorium turned on. The sophomore then said,

“I believe you, Michi-chan. You’re right - absolutely right. But that doesn’t change the fact that Homura-chan isn’t here. I won’t be able to dance on my own!”

Michi then wore a reassuring smile and reassured,

“You will be able to dance today, Kaname-senpai. The dance will go on and you shall dance gracefully. The hard work you have done thus far shall not go to waste. I shall make sure of it!”

* * *

**First Interlude**

With a spring in her step, Michi left Madoka’s side and marched out of the main hall of the auditorium then into the corridor. As soon as she got through the door, she was faced with the scowl of the student council president Noe Ogasawara who was waiting for her.

The council president peeled herself off of the wall and then marched up to Michi with a disapproving click of her tongue before she warned,

“I don’t know what the hell you’re planning, Walpurgisnacht, but you ought to know that I’m watching you, noi.”

Michi, however, was unfazed as she breezed past the council president and headed down the corridor with brisk steps. The Hokkaido native then replied,

“I appreciate your concern, Warukuchi, but I am acting with Homura Akemi’s assent in my capacity as your Second Mistress. As such, I would appreciate it if you stopped calling me ‘Walpurgisnacht’ and help me get down to business.”

“Bah, I’ll call you whatever I want, Walpurgisnacht. I do not approve of the Mistress’ choosing of you as her right hand, noi!”

Michi calmly turned a corner at the end of the corridor and took the Clara Doll’s barrage in stride.

“I respect your disapproval of me as well, Warukuchi, but let us save this for later. I have orders for you from Homura-san, so listen carefully.”

Warukuchi hissed, but she had no choice but to impatiently concede in the end,

“Fine. What are those orders, noi?”

“We want you and the principal - Manuke the elder - to make sure that the ballroom competition goes smoothly. All that matters is that Kaname-senpai’s gets to finish the dance. After that, I want the campus to be ready for evacuation at any moment.”

Warukuchi put her hands on her hips and hissed,

“That’s impossible, noi! You Dreadnaught Witch! Do you understand just how many people are here right now?”

“Those very same people may be in danger if anything happens here. It pays to be prudent.”

Warukuchi growled and clenched her hands into fists as she stubbornly argued,

“Even if we do get the campus evacuation-ready, the sleeping goddess won’t be able to dance - not without our real Mistress here to dance with her, noi!”

A determined smile then formed on Michi’s lips as she quickened her pace. Warukuchi begrudgingly followed.

Michi marched on over to the backstage of the main hall where the other contestants were getting ready for the dancing competition. There she spotted the teal-haired Hitomi Shizuki, a committee member for the dancing competition, going to and fro in the backstage as she checked up on the contestants.

The freshman then went over to Hitomi and called her attention,

“Shizuki-senpai, may I have a moment of your time?”

Hitomi turned around and faced Michi with an eager smile,

“Ah Hideyoshi-san! How can I help you? And what’s with the oversized jacket?”

Michi’s face flushed red as she tried to evade the topic,

“There is a long story to that… but that is not what I’m here to talk about!”

Michi then leaned in closer to Hitomi and whispered a question,

“Would it be alright if I substituted for Homura-san in the dance?”

Hitomi gave Michi a confused look, wondering if she misheard the freshman’s question. Michi’s expression, however, was unyielding. Hitomi heard the question correctly and she replied with bewilderment,

“What? Hideyoshi-san… you know you can’t do that. Only the people registered on the roster can compete.”

Michi insistently joined her hands and then gave Hitomi a deep bow as she asked,

“Please, Shizuki-senpai - there must be something that you can do. This is for Kaname-senpai’s sake.”

Hitomi hastily urged Michi to stand up straight, but she apologetically replied,

“As much as I want to help you and Madoka-san, changing the line-up now would mean that the entire purple team could be disqualified! If that happens, then Madoka-san wouldn’t be able to dance at all! It has to be Akemi-san who dances with Madoka-san or else we’ll be in hot water.”

Warukuchi, who was watching the exchange from the threshold, smirked as Michi’s pleas were shot down one after the other. She was about to go on and do what Michi had asked for her when she suddenly saw Michi do something odd.

The freshman got down onto her knees and lied prostate before Hitomi as she made one last request,

“If that is the case, then please turn me into Homura Akemi.”

* * *

**Sixty-fourth Act, First Movement - Contestant Number Eight**

Hitomi Shizuki brought Michi into the changing ‘room’ assigned to Madoka and Homura. Rather than a room, however, it was small space in the backstage enclosed by divider curtains. The teal-haired sophomore sat Michi down in front of the mirror of the ‘room’, gave Michi a once over and then gave her observation,

“You and Akemi-san have about the same build, so her tuxedo might fit you just fine. The two of you both have straight, long black hair too. You’ve got a _hime cut_ style, though, but I can still work with that. Your eyes are a different color from Akemi-san’s, but the judges won’t catch that from where they’ll be sitting. The lighting will help you hide that too.”

The sophomore then hummed as she observed,

“As for your expression… hmm…”

“What about my expression, Shizuki-senpai?”

“Akemi-san has a certain look - a certain air about her, you see. Say - could you give me a cold glare?”

“A cold glare? What for?”

Michi whirled around with disbelief, but she inadvertently gave off the cold glare that Hitomi asked for. Hitomi then started to chuckle as she remarked,

“There we go~! That’s a great expression! You definitely could pass for Akemi-san with that. Now, run your hand through your hair and let it fly out to the side like this! Just like they do in the shampoo commercials!”

Hitomi then ran a hand through her own hair and urged Michi to follow suit. The freshman, however, curiously asked,

“Just what are you talking about, Shizuki-senpai?”

“You want to become Akemi-san, don’t you? I’m just covering all my bases here, so give me a little hairflip! Akemi-san does this all the time, you know.”

Michi sighed and humored the teal-haired sophomore. She ran her hand through her hair and Hitomi beamed,

“We could work on the dramatic effect a little bit, but that should do for now! I think you’ve got the ‘Homura Akemi’ act in the bag. Now let’s get to work on you, shall we?”

With that, Hitomi Shizuki brought out a hairbrush and a large, brand-new Elysian Fashion makeup kit - the deluxe ‘Angel Collection’ set. She meticulously brushed Michi’s long, black hair, peeled off the sticking plasters on Michi’s cheek and then put on the freshman’s makeup.

When Hitomi was finished, Michi looked at herself in the mirror and she felt that she really looked like Homura Akemi. Hitomi smiled with satisfaction and chimed,

“Wait till we get you into her tuxedo~!”

Hitomi then proudly stepped back and showed Michi the dancing tuxedo of Homura Akemi. The teal-haired sophomore then gestured Michi to come over and joked,

“Come on! You’re not planning to dance in that oversized tracksuit jacket are you?”

Michi obliged and she let Hitomi help her dress up. The sophomore helped Michi into a fresh, white dress shirt and then into the slacks, making sure that Michi’s left arm and her left side were undisturbed. Hitomi also carefully put on the purple-colored cravat that came with the outfit as well as Homura’s black dancing shoes. Finally, Hitomi helped Michi into the tuxedo jacket.

Every single piece of Homura’s clothing fitted Michi perfectly. Michi looked at herself in the mirror with the full outfit and she was amazed. That was what Homura was supposed to look like on the dance floor, she thought.

Hitomi wore a satisfied smile, but she laid her hands on Michi’s shoulders and added,

“There’s one last finishing touch, Hideyoshi-san. I need to find a nice headband like Akemi-san’s to top this all off.”

Michi then turned to Hitomi and asked,

“Would a ribbon do? Akemi-san told me that she used to wear a ribbon in her hair.”

The freshman then dug into the pocket of Elise’s tracksuit and brought out a light purple ribbon. Hitomi took the ribbon and stretched it out near Michi’s hair and agreed,

“Yeah, this will do nicely. It goes well with the cravat too!”

Hitomi tied the purple ribbon in Michi’s hair and she stepped back for one last look. Then, she nodded and cheered,

“It’s done, Hideyoshi-san. Or should I say, ‘Akemi-san’? That should be enough to trick the judges.”

“I hope so too, Shizuki-senpai.”

“From this point on, ‘Akemi-san’, the judges will have their eyes on you and the way you dance. You’re Madoka-san’s leader, after all, so everything rests on your shoulders.”

“I am aware of that, Shizuki-senpai. I have seen Homura-san and Kaname-senpai do their routine many times already so I’m not exactly unprepared. Plus - if it’s for Kaname-senpai’s sake, then I’m prepared to take responsibility.”

As Michi was talking, the cloth divider to the dressing ‘room’ parted to the side and a dejected Madoka appeared. The pink-haired sophomore noticed Hitomi and asked,

“What are you doing here, Hitomi-chan?”

Hitomi put her hands on her hips as she proudly answered,

“Funny you should ask. I was just helping your dance partner get ready for the competition~!”

“My dance partner? Is Homura-chan back here already?”

Hitomi shook her head, but she stepped aside with a cheerful flourish and corrected,

“Not quite - but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, Madoka-san.”

“... Michi-chan?”

Madoka rubbed her eyes and did a double-take when she first saw Michi wearing Homura’s tuxedo. Had she not known any better, the person standing before her would have passed for Homura Akemi. However, the freshman’s brown eyes told her otherwise.

Michi smiled at Madoka and then firmly reminded,

“I am a girl of my word, Kaname-senpai. I promised you that you, didn’t I? The dance will go on and you shall dance gracefully. I am not Homura Akemi, but I will do my best to dance in her stead if you would permit.”

Michi then extended her right hand to Madoka and asked,

“Kaname-senpai, please let me be the frame to your flower. I will show this audience just how precious Madoka Kaname is!”

The beginnings of tears in Madoka’s eyes started to spill over, but she quickly wiped them away. Her feeling of anxiety from earlier gave way to a bright, albeit still tearful smile. Then, she graciously took Michi’s right hand and accepted,

“Thank you, Michi. I would be happy to dance with you~!”

As soon as Madoka said this, however, the pink-haired sophomore leaned closer towards Michi and whispered in her ear,

“When we go out to the dance floor, though, you don’t have to merely be a replacement for Homura-chan. I want you to be yourself as well - to be Michi Hideyoshi. Can you do that for me?”

Michi was surprised by Madoka’s strange request. When the sophomore let go of Michi’s hand, Madoka’s pink eyes shone faintly gold for a brief moment.

The freshman let out a surprised gasp,

“G-goddess?”

The golden-eyed Madoka then smiled at Michi, but she put her pointer finger over her lips and asked the freshman to stay silent. Then, music from the main auditorium hall started to play.

Hitomi hummed and noted,

“It looks like the program’s about to start. It’s been delayed long enough but everyone’s finally here.”

The teal-haired sophomore brought out a sheet of paper with the number ‘8’ printed out prominently on it. Hitomi carefully attached the number to the back of Michi’s tuxedo and cheered,

“Contestant Number Eight is ready to go! I wish you both the best!”

With that, Madoka took off Homura’s tracksuit jacket as if she were shedding off a cocoon. The jacket gave way to Madoka’s majestic white dress with a puffy white skirt and golden trimmings.

This time, Madoka offered her right hand to Michi. The freshman took Madoka’s hand without a second thought. The two of them then made their way out of their dressing ‘room’ and into the brightly-lit auditorium hall side-by-side.

* * *

**Sixty-fourth Act, Second Movement - A Conversation In Dance**

Under the bright lights of the main auditorium hall, Michi Hideyoshi and Madoka Kaname walked hand-in-hand onto the polished hardwood dance floor at the middle of the hall. The two of them were met with loud applause and everyone in the hall had their eyes on them - from the audience seated at both floors to the judges at the corners of the dance floor.

The sharp tuxedo that Michi wore made the freshman seem much taller than she actually was. It also brought out a regal air that was different from what she had been used to.

Rather than the image of the subdued, oriental _Yamato Nadeshiko_ that she had sought to portray, Michi was standing there on the floor like a proper, Western gentle-woman brimming with confidence. The overture music playing in the auditorium - a medley of classics from the age of American Swing - brought Michi’s new image of herself to life.

However, the person who truly caught the audience’s eyes was her partner - Madoka Kaname.

The pink-haired sophomore, wrapped in her white, gold-trimmed dress, was standing with the poise of a ballerina. Beneath the bright lights, Madoka transformed from the unassuming sophomore to a swan of beauty with her back straight and her head held high. While Michi’s presence on the stage became Western, Madoka’s presence became divine.

In spite of that, as she held onto the divine Madoka’s hand, Michi felt the sophomore’s nervous pulse. Thus, Michi gave Madoka’s hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Madoka turned her head to Michi and then she wore a thankful smile.

The couples were then introduced one after another by Lorelei and Ligaya - the lively ‘Thunder Sisters’ duo. The couples bowed when they were called and were met with polite applause.

When Michi’s and Madoka’s turn came, however, Madoka’s father and little Tatsuya cheered for Madoka at the top of their lungs. Hitomi and little Nagisa joined in on the fanfare as well. Even the Thunder Sisters and the teacher Saotome were tempted jump right in, but they remembered that they were supposed to be neutral.

Still, in Madoka’s mind, it was just like Michi told her earlier. There were many people rooting for her, happy to see her on the stage.

Once all of the couples were called, Lorelei and Ligaya cheerfully announced the start of the competition. The overture music then came to an end and the first few bars of Glenn Miller’s ‘In The Mood’ started to play on the speakers.

With that cue, Michi and Madoka turned to face each other and brought each other into a dancing hold. The two girls closed the distance between them and looked into each other's eyes as they both listened to the music. They counted the flourishes of the big band music in sync and then started off their routine.

The two of them danced a lively jive set, following the steps that Serafina Larivenko had prepared for them by the letter. There were springs in their steps and bright smiles on their faces that paired perfectly with the American Swing. Michi was drawing out what she knew about Homura’s routine and led Madoka around the dance floor, but the thoughts and emotions that she brought into the dance were entirely her own.

As such, the darkness of the auditorium halls beyond the bright lights on the dance floor started to transform in Michi’s eyes. The Hokkaido native imagined herself dancing with Madoka in a posh dance hall from the Interwar Period. The speakers playing the music were replaced by a live brass band led by Glenn Miller himself while playing his trombone.

The audience, judges and the other dancers remained the same in Michi’s vision, but the freshman’s dance took on a life of its own. Madoka looked around in between their steps and she also saw the scene that Michi saw.

Michi then suddenly heard Madoka ask her a question through telepathy,

“ _Michi-chan. Do you miss this time? The Interwar Period?_ ”

The freshman was surprised by the question, but she didn’t stray from the routine. Michi noticed that Madoka’s eyes were faintly glowing gold again, so she replied in telepathy,

“ _Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don’t. This is the time from where I came, after all. This was the kind of music the people of my time heard. This was the kind of dance that the people of my time danced. For better or for worse - even after the tragedies that would happen not long afterwards - this time will always hold a place in my heart._ ”

Glenn Miller’s ‘In The Mood’ finally ended after a while and so did Michi’s and Madoka’s routine. The vision of the Interwar Period faded away as the audience showered the twelve couples with applause. Madoka’s family rose up to the occasion again and called out Madoka’s name while Nagisa and Hitomi happily looked on.

Michi and Madoka bowed to the audience and the two of them returned to the backstage with the other couples. The solo Waltz segment was coming up next, so Michi and Madoka had some time before their turn. Thus, the two of them stepped into their dressing ‘room’ once again and they sat down on chairs facing each other.

The golden glow in Madoka’s eyes was much brighter now than it was under the auditorium lights and the sophomore finally managed to speak her mind freely,

“It’s been a while, Caretaker Michi Hideyoshi.”

“Goddess Madoka…”

Madoka reached over to Michi and held the freshman’s hands in hers as she said,

“Don’t be afraid, Michi-chan. I’m not manifesting. Eyes are the windows to a person’s soul, aren’t they? I’m just taking a little bit of a peek through them now so that I can speak with you for a little while. I do not have the same powers that I had before, but even I can do this much.”

When Michi heard this, the emotions that she had been keeping in bay since her eyes were opened once more came to the surface. Pent-up bitterness, grief and shame spilled out from Michi’s heart and brought the beginnings of tears to her eyes.

The Goddess, however, brought out a white handkerchief and wiped Michi’s tears,

“There, there, Michi-chan.”

Madoka then brought Michi into a tender embrace and patted her Caretaker’s back. Wrapped in Madoka’s embrace, Michi felt the warmth that she felt when she was first welcomed into the Silver Garden.

That warmth, however, reminded Michi again of the grim reality that she was facing.

While still in Madoka’s arms, Michi croaked in a subdued tone,

“My Goddess… I have failed you. I promised you that I would have a wonderful story for you when you returned to the Silver Garden. Instead of that… horrible tragedies have befallen your sanctuary. The Silver Garden was besieged and desecrated under my watch… and we can no longer call it our home.”

Madoka’s warm embrace then tightened ever so slightly as the Goddess gently replied,

“And yet we are all still here, Michi-chan. I already know what happened to the Silver Garden - or at least I have a good idea already.”

Madoka let go of Michi and then looked into the Hokkaido-native’s eyes and continued with a smile,

“I’ve been awake all this time, you see. I’ve been watching you and Homura-chan and the others like this through these eyes. It’s a shame that things had to turn out the way they did, but I do not bear any ill will for you or for Homura-chan for what happened.”

The smile on Madoka’s lips then wavered as she corrected,

“If you wish to blame anyone for the horrors that you have seen, then you must blame me.”

Michi was bewildered by Madoka’s words as she asked,

“Why would I or anyone else ever blame you, Goddess Madoka?”

The Goddess then lowered her head and confessed,

“I will be honest with you now, Michi. There are many things that I have kept from you and for everyone else. Not even Sayaka-chan knows everything that I know. I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone about it.”

Michi’s heart skipped a beat as she fearfully guessed,

“Are you talking about… the death of our universe?”

A bittersweet smile formed on Madoka’s lips as she replied,

“I see Homura-chan already trusts you enough to tell you about that… painful truth that we are facing.”

The smile on Madoka’s lips then finally gave way to a grim frown as the Goddess continued,

“Our universe has always been in grave danger, but I was unable to properly prepare for it. I didn’t even know that the universe had so little precious time left until it was too late. That made me realize that I was a flawed deity.”

“A flawed deity…? What makes you say that?”

“My omniscience was limited, Michi. I knew the story of humany from the beginning of time to the present day - as well as everything that happened in the various timelines that Homura-chan went through for my sake. The future, however, was always cloudy to me. Because of that, I wasn’t able to predict the Incubators’ attempts to capture Nagisa-chan or Homura-chan. I didn’t even know about the Incubators’ plot to ambush me when I came down to save Homura-chan either. What kind of an omniscient Goddess could be so blind?”

The Goddess, however, laid her hands on her heart and assured,

“But I do have hope, Michi-chan. I have hope that you and Homura-chan and everyone else can come together and find a way to heal our dying universe. Homura-chan has been doing things that, while vicious and cruel, needed to be done - things that I did not have the heart to do. She is prudent and decisive after all - sometimes, brutally so.”

Madoka then looked straight into Michi’s eyes and smiled as she remarked,

“You, on the other hand, have made sure that Homura-chan remained as Homura-chan. You have been standing at her side and carrying her burdens on your shoulders. Even though Homura-chan became a devil for my sake, you made sure that the true Homura-chan was alive and well in her heart. When all is said and done, Homura-chan can still be saved. I do not regret placing my trust in either of you.”

Michi held her bandaged left arm in her right hand then reminded,

“I am honored by your words, Goddess Madoka, but there is still so much to be done.”

“I am aware of that, Michi-chan. I will do what I can to support you and Homura-chan. Of course, I cannot reveal myself to Homura-chan like this, but you can always come to me for guidance if you find yourself lost. Just like before.”

“Just like before…?”

“We have a covenant, Michi-chan. A covenant that you made with me when you decided to become an Archangel. Our covenant still stands. You have been honoring your side, so I shall continue to honor mine. You remember what it is, don’t you?”

“Of course, Goddess Madoka. ‘ _Help me to bring everyone home._ ’”

Madoka’s smile grew brighter as she promised,

“I will see to it that you succeed, Michi-chan.”

The Goddess then laid her hand over Michi’s head and touched the purple ribbon that she wore in her hair. She then said,

“I can sense the storm that Homura-chan told you about. It has started to brew in the distance and it will be headed this way before long. Wraiths are drawn to my presence after all. They will go after me with reckless abandon and I will not be able to defend myself. Everyone at this campus will be in danger too.”

Michi nodded and reassured,

“I have already made arrangements to evacuate the whole school, Goddess.”

Madoka joined her hands together and happily remarked,

“As expected of my Caretaker. But I have two more requests for you before I go.”

Michi dutifully sat upright and then promptly asked,

“What are your orders, Goddess Madoka?”

“When you evacuate the campus, use Homura-chan’s magic to hide my presence. Without a target to attack, the Wraiths will be less violent and less organized.”

Michi nodded and agreed,

“Very well, Goddess Madoka.”

“Secondly, I want you to fulfil the wish of my human self - my true self. Madoka Kaname. Your ‘Kaname-senpai’. I want you to grant her one more dance. I want you to dance with her on the dance floor as gracefully as you dance on the battlefield, Michi. She has been looking forward to this dance for the longest time, after all. Do this for me… no… do this for her, and we shall be grateful.”

“Understood… Kaname-senpai.”

The Goddess Madoka smiled and the golden glow in her eyes fizzled away, returning to their usual pink color. The sophomore seated before Michi curiously blinked and then tilted her head as she asked,

“Michi-chan, were you talking with someone just now?”

Michi shook her head and then smiled back at Madoka to say,

“I was just looking forward to our Waltz, Kaname-senpai.”

* * *

**Sixty-fourth Act, Third Movement - Waltz of the Flowers**

The next half hour passed in a heartbeat for Michi and Madoka, the eighth couple in the competition, as the two of them waited for their turn to dance solo on the dance floor. Once their names were finally called, the two of them emerged from the backstage curtains again and walked towards the dance floor hand-in-hand.

Cheerful applause greeted them and they made their way to the center of the dance floor. Once again, all eyes were on them and the shadows that they cast on the hardwood. The music for their dance then started to play - Tchaikovsky’s ‘Waltz of the Flowers’.

Michi gently brought Madoka into their dancing hold and then, after a few bars of melody, began their Waltz.

The music of the orchestra playing on the auditorium speakers guided Michi and Madoka through their routine. They danced around the hardwood stage, pairing simple yet passionate sets of box steps with graceful turns and ballet-like pirouettes. Michi would then bring Madoka into a low dip that drew oohs and ahs throughout the auditorium.

All the while, Michi and Madoka kept their eyes on each other.

Michi was entranced by the dream-like dance and the immaculate grace of the sophomore in her arms. Madoka Kaname’s passion for dance and the emotion that she brought into it reached Michi’s heart clearly. However, in the midst of that trance, Michi’s vision of the world around her didn’t change.

The auditorium remained as the auditorium. The audience remained as the audience. Neither Michi nor Madoka left Mitakihara in that vision - but it was a wonderful spectacle that left a deep impression in Michi’s heart.

The brilliant smile on Madoka’s face told Michi that this world, for better or for worse, truly was precious to her.

Looking at Madoka’s smile made Michi realize that Madoka and everyone else in that world still had their whole lives ahead of them. Michi and her friends already lost their lives to the follies of their time, but Madoka and the people close to her still have a chance.

Michi wanted to make sure that they did.

The music came to an end before long and the two girls were met with a standing ovation. Michi and Madoka joined hands and bowed together to the audience.

Happy tears welled up in Madoka’s eyes as she and Michi made their way off of the dance floor. Madoka lowered her head as she found herself wearing a tearful smile, but she still managed to croak,

“T-thank you… Michi-chan. Thank you. Thank you...”

The pink-haired sophomore tightly held onto Michi’s right hand until the two of them returned to the backstage curtains. Then, Madoka held Michi in a tender embrace.

Michi returned the embrace with her right arm, but she suddenly undid the purple ribbon in her hair with her bandaged left hand. The sophomore was surprised when she felt Michi’s long black hair brushing against her cheeks, but Michi held Madoka close. Then, the freshman finally whispered,

“It was an honor dancing with you, Kaname-senpai. Now, please rest. You have earned it.”

When Michi spoke, the purple ribbon in her hand started to glow and her eyes shimmered faintly pink. Purple light then enveloped Madoka’s head and the sophomore suddenly fell asleep in the freshman’s arms.

With the sleeping Madoka in her arms, Michi raised up her head and saw the student council president leaning against the wall in the backstage with an impatient mug. The elderly principal was also there with the council president and had a kindly smile on her lips as she reported,

“Preparations are complete, Second Mistress. We just need your word.”

Michi nodded and then firmly ordered,

“Warukuchi. Manuke the elder. Have the school evacuated immediately.”

* * *

**Sixty-fifth Act, First Movement - We Met Upon The Stair**

It didn’t take long for the evacuation of the school to kick in. Announcements were made over the PA systems that the Sports Day events first. Then, members of the student council and the faculty fanned out throughout the campus and ushered people to the exits in orderly streams.

Severe, inclement weather was the excuse broadcast on the speakers, but Michi knew that it wasn’t a complete lie. A storm truly was coming, after all.

From the back door of the auditorium, Michi watched as Madoka’s father carried his sleeping daughter out on his back. Little Tatsuya trotted along beside him while Hitomi Shizuki accompanied them.

Just a few minutes ago, Michi left the sleeping Madoka in Hitomi’s care in the backstage. The teal-haired sophomore didn’t understand what was going on, but Michi asked her to stay with Madoka and to make sure that she got home safely.

Meanwhile, Michi stayed behind and prepared herself for battle.

The streams of people headed out of the campus was starting to thin out when Michi felt the ominous change of atmosphere. The air in the campus felt heavy and the beginnings of fog was forming out in the distance.

It wouldn’t be long before the fog rolled into the campus. Then, Wraiths would surely appear.

Thus, Michi marched back into the auditorium corridor and headed up towards the auditorium stairwell. The freshman moved against the flow of the evacuating stragglers and she climbed up the stairs with sure, firm steps. On her way up, however, Michi found a familiar face in the thinning crowd.

“Nagisa-chan?”

The petite, white-haired elementary-schooler stopped in her tracks and she happily replied,

“Michi-neesan! Perfect timing! I’ve been looking for you!”

“What do you mean, Nagisa-chan? The school is being evacuated right now.”

The freshman then chose her words as she continued to urge,

“There is a storm coming, Nagisa-chan. If you stay here, it will be hard for you to get home.”

Nagisa, however, was unfazed as she asked,

“But what about you, Michi-neesan? Why aren’t _you_ evacuating? It’ll be hard for you to get home too.”

“That may be so, Nagisa-chan, but there’s still something I have to do here.”

Nagisa looked up to Michi and then asked,

“Maybe I can help you out then, Michi-neesan. You seem to be on edge.”

Michi held her tongue that time around. She didn’t want to say more than she needed to say to the little child. Nagisa, however, smiled and knowingly asked,

“You’re planning on fighting the Wraiths on your own, aren’t you? They’re coming from the foothills so you wanted to get a good vantage point on top of the auditorium. Am I wrong?”

The freshman was caught off guard by Nagisa’s sharp observation. Then, once the last of the stragglers passed them by on the stairs, Nagisa showed Michi the back of her left hand. There was a silver ring that held a distinct orange Soul Gem that Nagisa proudly wore. The little girl then grinned at Michi and said,

“Let me help you, Michi-neesan. It’s been a while since I fought Wraiths so I might be a little rusty, but the two of us’ll have better chances together~!”

“But Nagisa-chan…”

Nagisa’s expression mellowed, but her voice remained firm,

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions, Michi-neesan. I’ll answer later when we have some time - but for now, we have to defend the campus, Caretaker Michi Hideyoshi~!”

Michi managed to wear a smile in reply,

“Very well. I’ll be counting on you then, Archangel Nagisa Momoe.”

* * *

**Sixty-fifth Act, Second Movement - Concerto Fioro**

Michi and Nagisa climbed up the staircase together all the way up to the rooftop landing. They opened the stairwell door and then rushed to the edge of the rooftop overlooking the foothills and the forest beyond the school walls below.

Thick miasma fog was looming at the heart of the forest just west of the Hanasou Dormitory. The fog was slithering between the mulberry and cherry blossom trees like smoky white snakes that were making their way towards the school walls.

The first of the Wraiths then reared their heads and emerged from the thick veil of fog - dozens of the lanky, white-robed lesser Wraiths. Those lesser Wraiths chanted as they marched through the forest and trampled down the trees in their wake. It was just like in the video that she saw at the Ninth District earlier - the Wraiths were affecting the physical environment.

That meant that there had to be Shugen Wraiths among the lesser Wraiths. However, there were no Shugen Wraiths that emerged from the fog. They must have been hiding behind the veil of thicker fog at the heart of the forest, Michi figured.

Thus, the freshman turned to Nagisa and said,

“The lesser Wraiths intend to march upon the walls of the campus and tear it down. The evacuation of the school is almost done and the hill will slow the Wraiths’ advance, but it will serve us well to nip this problem in the bud.”

Nagisa nodded and agreed,

“I think so too, Michi-neesan. Plus, if we fight in the forest, we don’t have to hold back!”

The white-haired girl then summoned her black trumpet and cradled it in her arms as she shyly added,

“My magic can be a little loud, you see. The school has a lot of glass, so I was kinda worried about that. Ahahaha~”

“It’s settled then. We will fight them in the forest and hold them at bay until Homura-san and the others get here.”

“Gotcha, Michi-neesan~! I also have a bit of a suggestion for the battle plan.”

“Sure. What is it?”

“I’ve watched the Mitakihara Quintet in action a few times before. I noticed a pattern with the Wraiths. They’ve gotten pretty organized lately and they’ve even adapted to the Quintet’s tactics a little too. But when you guys take down Shugen Wraiths, the lesser Wraiths start going off on their own.”

“You mean… the Wraiths have been adopting a command structure?”

“Probably. That’s probably why the Shugen Wraiths are hiding in the fog. They’re the ones calling the shots - and once they’re gone…”

Michi then turned over to the slithering fog and finished Nagisa’s sentence,

“...then we will be fighting a headless snake.”

Nagisa nodded happily and confirmed,

“Yup! Then it’ll be a cakewalk for sure~!”

“That sounds like a good plan, Nagisa-chan. Let’s do that.”

With that, Michi extended her bandaged left arm forward and then skillfully peeled off the bandages that wrapped it with one swift motion. She then summoned her silver Soul Gem ring back around her left middle finger and cast turquoise blue light to bathe herself.

Homura’s dancing tuxedo suit transformed into Michi’s majestic blue kimono while the dancing shoes gave way to her wooden slippers.

Michi then ran a hand through her hair, tied it back with magic and then held it in place with her silver kanzashi pin - together with Homura’s purple ribbon and Elise’s willow ornament.

Turquoise blue light then flashed before Michi and coalesced into the shape of her naginata. Michi reached for the light with her left hand and pulled her weapon into existence.

Nagisa smiled at the naginata-wielder as she followed suit.

She brought out her orange Soul Gem and covered herself in its light. Nagisa’s casual clothes were replaced by her large salmon-colored coat and her brown shorts held up by suspenders. She then waved her hand over her head and summoned her brown hat with cat ears that fit snugly over her flowing white hair.

Nagisa then held her the handle of her black trumpet with one hand and challenged,

“Let’s show these Wraiths what Archangels can do, Michi-neesan~!”

Michi nodded and the two girls faced the slithering fog in the forest beyond the school walls. The two girls spoke to each other through telepathy for a moment. Then, the two of them ran towards the edge of the rooftop and leapt off of the building together.

The two magi glided over the glass walls of the school and then down towards the forest. They landed on the canopy of a tall mulberry tree just an earshot away from the vanguard of the lesser Wraiths.

The chanting of the Wraiths grew agitated as they noticed the presence of the two magi looking down upon them from their perch. The vanguard of Wraiths quickened their march and tried to encircle the mulberry tree while the Wraiths on the second line pointed their fingers at the two girls.

Michi and Nagisa quickly dove down below the treeline as black beams whizzed above them and tore through the mulberry crowns. Still the two girls pressed forward without skipping a beat, leaping from branch to branch towards the heart of the forest as the lesser Wraiths chased after them.

They were able to draw the lesser Wraiths’ attention, but there was still no sign of the Shugen Wraiths. The further downhill that Michi and Nagisa got, the thicker the fog grew and the distance between them and the Wraiths pursuing them grew short.

The lesser Wraiths that had been hiding in the fog then sprung up and swiped at the magi with their lanky, clawed hands. Michi blocked the claws with her naginata before tearing the Wraiths’ hands clean off with powerful swings of her blade. Nagisa, on the other hand, blew on her trumpet and then left a trail of large soap bubbles behind them.

As soon as the Wraiths chasing them approached Nagisa’s bubbles, the bubbles would then burst with powerful blasts that blew the lesser Wraiths off of their feet and shattered their formations. They were like aerial mines, Michi figured, as she watched lesser Wraiths in the corners of her eyes getting blown away by Nagisa’s wall of bubbles left and right.

Nagisa’s magic was incredibly powerful, but the lesser Wraiths kept leaping at them from behind the thick fog and furiously swiped at them. Black beams cut through the fog every so often as well, forcing the girls to duck and frantically weave through the forest. The assault of the Wraiths grew more relentless by the second, telling Michi and Nagisa that they were on the right track.

Then, all of the sudden, flames started flickering behind the fog in the distance and grew brighter frighteningly quickly. Michi held her naginata tightly and then cried,

“Shugen Wraiths!”

Six flaming spears then cut through the fog towards Michi and Nagisa. The naginata-wielder skillfully swung her naginata around and deflected one flaming spear after another. The sixth spear, however, came for Michi at an extreme angle that she couldn’t defend.

Nagisa, however, pulled Michi out of the way with her free hand and then blew her trumpet as she pointed at the flaming spear.

The stream of bubbles caught the spear and then slowed it down with every bursting bubble. Before long, the spear came to a halt and was trapped in a large bubble. When the other flaming spears turned around for a second run, Nagisa blew another stream of bubbles and caught the five spears all at once.

The flames of the spears were extinguished in the bubbles, but Nagisa still felt telekinetic forces trying to pull the spears out. The trumpeter brought out her orange Soul Gem and watched as six bright lights shimmered inside of it. Nagisa then turned to Michi and reported,

“I’ve found the Shugen Wraiths - six of them! They’re right over there!”

Michi turned to Nagisa and then cheered,

“Alright then - let’s give them a show!”

The freshman naginata-wielder and the little trumpeter held up their weapons together and let them touch. Turquoise blue light then emanated from Michi’s naginata while Nagisa’s trumpet glowed orange. Those colored lights mixed and wrapped around the two girls’ weapons and cast a rush of air that combed through Michi’s and Nagisa’s hair and blew away the thick miasma fog around them.

The six Shugen Wraiths were then revealed behind the dispersed fog while they struggled in vain to retrieve their black spears with telekinesis. The Shugen Wraiths no longer had their spears, but they quickly threw punches with their detached fists at the two magi who found them.

Nagisa, however, simply took her glowing trumpet and blew a fresh stream of bubbles that were filled with peculiar cherry blossom petals. The fists of the Shugen Wraiths smashed into the bubbles but were pushed back with vicious explosions of soap and then lacerated by bursts of petals that cut like knives.

Michi then lunged forward with her glowing naginata in tow and swiped at the stunned fists. The blade of her naginata drew petal-filled bubbles in the air as it sailed through. Once her blade struck the fists, the steel cut cleanly through flesh and bone and the petal-filled bubbles it cast burst from within. The fists were cut in half and then torn asunder by the flurry of soap and petals.

Now, the Shugen Wraiths truly were unarmed - and the lesser Wraiths were scrambling to protect their enlightened superiors. But it was already too late.

Nagisa twirled around and blew her trumpet, casting a ring of large, petal-filled bubbles that were almost as tall as the mulberry and cherry blossom trees in the foothill forest. The large bubbles formed a wall around the unarmed Shugen Wraiths, separating them from the lesser Wraiths that were rushing to their aid.

Michi then whirled her glowing naginata around and leapt up from the tallest tree in the forest. The naginata-wielder trained her naginata at the six trapped Shugen Wraiths and drew a stream of bubbles in her wake.

Nagisa saw this and then beamed as she called out to the naginata-wielder,

“Michi-neesan! _Concerto_!”

Michi smiled back at the trumpeter and the two girls cried out in unison,

“ _Concerto… Fioro!_ ”

The naginata-wielder then fell from heaven and pierced through the six Shugen Wraiths in one fell swoop. The large bubbles that had trapped them and the bubbles that Michi drew burst all at once, and ravaged the Shugen and the lesser Wraiths alike with a magnificent barrage of soap and petals.

* * *

**Sixty-fifth Act, Third Movement - The Trumpeter’s Call**

Neither the dust nor the petals had settled yet in the forest of the foothills when Kyouko Sakura, clad in her Puella Magi attire, arrived on the scene. The fiery spear-fighter stood atop the canopy of a tall mulberry tree and caught one of the petals in her hand. The scent of cherry blossom petals was pleasant as always, but Kyouko also smelled the distinct scent of soap and peaches. Kyouko tilted her head and wondered just what took place there at the forest.

Just a moment ago, Kyouko felt the unmistakable presence of a large formation of Wraiths. It was a chilly feeling of heavy air just like what she felt not too long ago when she was fighting in the Ninth District.

Somehow, the presence there in the Eighth District forest disappeared in an instant.

As Kyouko was racking her brains, Elise de Lamarliere in her full steel plate armor joined the spear-fighter on her treetop perch. The French girl felt the handle of the Hideyoshi family katana at her side and nervously asked,

“Sakura-san. Did we make it in time?”

The spear-fighter put her hands on her hips and grinned as she replied,

“Looks like it. The miasma’s gone and… damn, would you look at the forest! It looks like a storm tore through it!”

Elise’s eyes then swept through the forest and saw a myriad of felled, trampled trees and around an acre of canopies stripped bare of their leaves. However, there was no sign of Michi at first.

Kyouko noticed Elise’s searching eyes and smirked as she pointed out to the eye of the dispersed storm,

“Your partner’s over there in the thick of it, Elise-senpai.”

At the heart of the newly-deforested clearing, the weary figure of Michi Hideyoshi emerged from the mess of trees that had been torn whole off of the ground. The freshman’s kimono was tattered and torn and her hair was unkempt and wind-swept with cherry blossom petals and wood bark stuck haphazardly in her long black locks. It was as if she had been sucked into the middle of a violent yet floral storm. Elise promptly rushed over to the clearing and Kyouko snickered as she muttered,

“Looks like she was the one you wanted to ask about after all, huh? Mami would have a field day with you guys if she was here!”

The spear-fighter then followed Elise through the the canopies towards the clearing. On their way there, though, Elise stopped in her tracks - prompting Kyouko to stop too. Kyouko turned to where Elise was looking and she gasped,

“Hey… isn’t that…”

Someone else got to where Michi was first - the tiny figure of Nagisa Momoe wearing her Puella Magi attire. The little girl helped Michi up from the mess of felled trees and she looked terribly embarrassed. She was profusely apologizing to Michi and her voice was echoing throughout the clearing,

“I’m sorry Michi-neesan! I didn’t know the _Concerto_ would be that powerful! It’s my first time doing a combo too, so...”

Before Nagisa could finish speaking, however, she noticed the presence of Elise and Kyouko at the canopies on the edge of the clearing.

Elise was looking at the little girl with an uneasy expression. In her eyes, the little trumpeter had just blown the cover that she had been keeping since she first stepped into Mitakihara after all.

Kyouko, on the other hand, couldn’t believe that the tiny relative that had been living with Mami all that time was a Puella Magi as well. There had been so many Puella Magi turning up in Mitakihara all of the sudden lately that Kyouko’s head was starting to spin.

“Ahahaha~”

Nagisa gave off an uncomfortable laugh. She had been so wrapped up in the battle that she couldn’t think about how to explain herself to either her secret ally Elise, or to her guardian Kyouko.

Then, a third figure appeared at the canopies - a figure whose presence sent a chill up Nagisa’s spine.

It was Homura Akemi.

The time traveler was holding her Howa Type 89 assault rifle in hand and there was a shadow hanging over her eyes. Homura then hopped off of the canopies and landed on the trunks of the fallen trees in the clearing. Homura then started walking towards Nagisa with her assault rifle in tow and the little girl’s heart started to sink.

Kyouko and Elise turned to each other and the both of them felt a chill in the air as well. The two of them hopped off of the canopy as well and they tried to talk to Homura, but the time-traveler simply quickened her pace forward.

Michi then finally climbed out of the mess of felled trees and tried to speak, but Homura held up her hand and said,

“I want to hear from Nagisa-chan herself.”

The naginata-wielder had no choice but to hold her tongue.

Thus, Nagisa stood stiffly before Homura as the time-traveler cast a shadow over her. The little girl was holding her black trumpet in both hands, but her weapon - and her entire body was trembling. Even her shadow seemed to shiver in the presence of Homura Akemi.

Then, the time-traveler sternly asked,

“Nagisa Momoe. How long have you been a Puella Magi?”

Nagisa’s heart was beating against her chest, but she looked Homura in the eye and answered truthfully,

“E-ever since I... m-moved in with Mami-neesan.”

Homura tilted her head and continued,

“Is that so? Does that mean you’ve been hiding your powers from us all this time?”

Nagisa gulped and felt herself stammering, but she still managed to reply,

“Y-yes. Yes I have.”

The time-traveler then lightly brushed the trigger of her assault rifle with her right pointer finger and then demanded,

“Now then. Did you have anything to do with the Wraith attacks here or at the Ninth District today? Anything at all?”

This time, Nagisa shored up her courage and replied firmly,

“I had nothing to do with these attacks - and I fought to protect everyone I could here at the campus! There were so many lives at stake that I couldn’t just sit quietly and watch this assault happen!”

Nagisa then brought her black trumpet closer to her heart and added with a passionate voice,

“Everyone here is my family and I’ll do everything I can to protect them, Homura-neesan!”

Homura locked eyes with the little trumpeter for a moment of tense silence as Michi, Elise and Kyouko looked on.

Suddenly, a satisfied smile grew on Homura’s lips.

The time-traveler then set aside her assault rifle and extended her hand to Nagisa as she cordially asked,

“If that’s the case, then would you like to protect your family alongside us from now on?”

Nagisa’s orange eyes promptly lit up as she gladly nodded and stammered,

“R-really!? You’ll let me join you guys?”

Homura nodded and the trumpeter beamed as she cried out,

“Alright~! Yes! I’d love to join you guys!”

The tension in the clearing faded away as the little girl and the time-traveler smiled at each other. All of the sudden, Kyouko stepped past Homura and then picked up the little trumpeter with both hands. Kyouko raised Nagisa up high and grinned as she laughed,

“Ahaha! Would’ja look at that! The little shrimp turned out to be a fighter too!”

“H-hey! Put me down!”

“Hahaha, fat chance! Gosh~ I can’t wait to tell Mami about this, kiddo!”

Kyouko then proceeded to happily swing Nagisa around in the air as Homura Akemi chuckled at the sight. Michi and Elise watched that exchange with smiles on their faces. The French girl turned to Michi and then whispered,

“Akemi-san truly has changed. You’ve left a deep impression on her - and it’s showing.”

Michi laid a hand over her heart and then asserted,

“I’m just doing what I think the Goddess Madoka would have done. That’s all.”

“What the Goddess Madoka would have done, huh?”

Michi nodded and then spoke her mind,

“Hopefully, Miki-senpai hasn’t hardened her heart towards me. I want to reach out to her too, just like how I reached out to Homura-san. I just need one more chance and I know Miki-senpai will listen to what I have to say.”

The smile on Michi’s lips then grew bright as she watched Nagisa together with Kyouko and Homura and continued,

“These children have their whole lives ahead of them. I want to see all of them happy.”

* * *

**Epilogue**

Back in the secluded nook behind the school auditorium, Sayaka Miki was standing alone once more. The evacuation of the campus was already wrapping up, so the school was quickly falling silent. Even the wind that often blew in the hilltop school seemed to stay still that afternoon.

In that grim silence, Sayaka heard her own heartbeat. It brought her back to the scene of the dancing competition that ended abruptly not too long ago.

The images of Michi dancing with Madoka in the auditorium were burned into Sayaka’s memory and haunted her. The air of satisfaction that Madoka had about her as she danced with Michi - in spite of all the things that had happened - wrenched at her heart.

How could the Goddess Madoka still favor the traitor Michi over her?

Sayaka also recalled the way that Madoka ran past her on the judo ring to treat the traitor Michi’s injuries. The memory made Sayaka furrow her brow and nibble on her thumb in spite.

All that time, Sayaka had been focusing on becoming stronger and gathering power to herself to defeat the Devil Homura and to liberate the Goddess Madoka. That was her duty as Madoka’s Exemplar.

Standing alone there in the silence raised a question in Sayaka’s heart. Could it be that in her quest for vengeance, there was something that she lost along the way?

The saber fighter gritted her teeth and clenched her fist beside her. Then, with a frustrated roar, she punched the brick wall of the auditorium. A handful of bricks cracked and caved into the wall and bits of mortar crumbled off, but Sayaka’s hand started bleeding.

The cuts she sustained sealed themselves quickly, but a strange, dull pain remained. It was a pain that didn’t seem to go away - the same pain that had been haunting her day and night.

The pain was driving her mad.

In that madness, Sayaka sought the help of the Incubators. Ichibey promised her a chance to get even with Homura Akemi, so she had willingly conspired with the Incubators.

With the Incubators’ help, Sayaka refined her magic and developed techniques to help her gather power to herself and to organize a resistance right under Homura’s nose. Sayaka took the volumes of research made by the Carissima of Manchukuo, Lianmeng Hou, and used them to her advantage.

Thanks to the Incubators and Lianmeng Hou’s research, once Sayaka’s plans played out, she would have enough power to make Homura Akemi kneel before her.

She may not even need to save Madoka Kaname to get her way.

Then it hit her.

Sayaka had lost track of the Goddess Madoka and she had become obsessed with Homura Akemi’s demise. That lust for revenge tore Sayaka’s heart apart and nibbled away at her resolve from within.

But she was already close - so close.

Nobody would be able to stop her.

Not even herself.

As Sayaka was wrestling with her own mind, she heard the unmistakable patter of paws approaching her.

Sayaka turned to the source of the sound and she found an Incubator there in the grass. The white, ferret-like creature had disheveled fur and its skin bore a myriad of cuts and bruises - the injuries that came with being incarcerated at the Panopticon Tower that Sayaka had heard so much about.

This Incubator, however, was not Ichibey. His injuries, mannerisms and even the limping of his legs were different from the de-facto leader of the Incubators. That didn’t matter to Sayaka, though, as she faced the creature with a furious glare,

“You bastards flaked on me this morning. What the hell do you want from me now!?”

The Incubator bowed his head politely and replied,

“Ichibey wishes to send you our apologies for missing his meeting with you earlier, Miki-san. However, please understand that we Incubators have been busy all morning. There has been a change of plans on our side after all.”

“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?”

The Incubator raised his head and the smile on his lips grew wider as he explained,

“We Incubators have set our plan into motion. You understand what that means, don’t you?”

“Are you saying… you’ve declared war on the transfer student?”

“Indeed! Ichibey has liberated our brothers from the so-called Panopticon Tower and we are in the process of liberating our brethren held in detention centers around the country - and the world!”

“Hold on a minute… how in the hell were you guys able to do that!?”

“We used our Shugen Wraiths to break our chains for us. They have done a spectacular job in that regard - and they are going after our enemies as well. Two of Akemi-san’s most senior Clara Dolls - Ibari and the younger Manuke - have already fallen to their assault. Only the elder Manuke and the puppetmaster Warukuchi remain.”

“You killed them off that quickly…?”

“They were assassinations, Miki-san. We have always had an understanding of how clandestine wars were fought - we witnessed the entirety of the Cold War after all - but your insight and planning has been invaluable to us thus far.”

The creature then wagged his tail as he revealed,

“The work you have done with the research and the rituals of Lianmeng Hou has also allowed us to refine our technologies and strengthen the Wraiths. Those ethereal beings are now able to deal damage to their surroundings. Lesser Wraiths have gained the ability to enlighten themselves through meditation to become Shugen Wraiths - and they may even seek a higher form of enlightenment than that!”

“Something stronger than… those Shugen Wraiths…!?”

“But of course! Lianmeng Hou’s research was about the nature of the human soul and Wraiths are derivatives of that, just like Witches once were. The more progress you made into Lianmeng Hou’s research, the stronger, faster and smarter the Wraiths became! They adapt to the tactics employed by the Mitakihara Quintet with respectable proficiency as well.”

The Incubator then looked into Sayaka’s eyes as he declared,

“Most importantly, those Wraiths have become completely and unquestioningly loyal to us - to Ichibey. They will carry out our leader’s will and wage war on the Devil Homura.”

“I’m not prepared to act against that bitch yet, you assholes! You haven’t told me everything there is to know about those damn rituals!”

“We are aware of that, Miki-san. But Ichibey has deemed it unecessary for us to provide you with any more information regarding the rituals.”

“We had a deal, damn it! I need the full power of the rituals to become powerful enough to face that bitch Homura!”

“And you were planning to use that same power to stab us in the back. The moment we defeat Homura Akemi, you would have turned your blade on us. Frankly, you would have even turned your blade on your allies if they got in your way. That malicious intent is written all over your face. Our new understanding of human emotions has revealed this to us.”

Sayaka gritted her teeth and snarled at the creature,

“Is that so? You’re picking a fight with me too, huh?”

The Incubator, however, was unfazed as he replied,

“Only if you do not agree to our terms, Miki-san.”

“What makes you think that you bastards can bargain with me right now?”

“Well - i’m sure you’ve noticed that the entire campus has gone quiet. Unnaturally so. Let us say that you are currently helping us test out some new Incubator technology as we speak. It has taken a little bit longer than we would have liked to deploy, but this entire campus is now under the latest model of our Isolation Field. The Mark IV, if you will.”

Sayaka’s eyes shot up to the skies and she saw the translucent outline of an Isolation Field forming in the shape of a dome. The Incubator gave off a mechanical, unnatural chuckle and continued,

“Our original purpose here was to capture the Law of Cycles - your so-called ‘Goddess Madoka’ - again today. But alas, the Law of Cycles was evacuated long before we could get the Isolation Field in place. Because of that, we will have to make do with taking _you_ as our hostage.”

“Screw you bastards - I’m gonna kill you and break out of here.”

“Will you now? Our Mark IV is much stronger than the previous models. It will not break so easily from within like it did when we tried to capture Akemi-san. Plus, escaping will be the least of your concerns.”

As the Incubator spoke, thick white fog burst out from the manholes, water pipes and canals all around the campus. The fog spread quickly and filled the Isolation Field dome to the brim. Sayaka was forced to shield her eyes from the foggy draft while the Incubator basked in the unnatural wind.

Lesser Wraiths then started to emerge from the fog, crawling out from the earth and the terracotta tiles of the campus grounds. The lesser Wraiths were shrouded in the thick fog and their ominous chanting echoed eerily throughout the campus.

Sayaka’s eyes widened in fright and her heart sank as the white-robed army assembled into a circle. The Wraiths were meditating together as they chanted and their bodies were transforming before Sayaka’s eyes. They were all becoming Shugen Wraiths.

The Incubator smirked and then added,

“Ichibey has graciously asked me to offer you a deal. We can set you free this instant and let you walk through our Isolation Field. We will even give you a chance to destroy Homura Akemi with your own hands - just as you have always desired. However, Ichibey will ask you to do a number of things in return. We are no longer in the business of granting miracles, after all.”

Sayaka’s breaths grew heavy as she turned to the Incubator seated before her. The saber fighter’s head was spinning, but the Incubator recited his litany of demands,

“Firstly, you will allow us to demolish this school and raze it to the ground. Secondly, you will gather your forces and assault the First District - Akemi-san’s home - for us. Finally, you will besiege the Seventh District and capture Madoka Kaname for us. Once you accomplish these tasks, you will be free to torture, humiliate and murder Homura Akemi - and the people who you think may have colluded with her - in any way that you wish.”

The Incubator slyly wagged his tail and then asked,

“What do you say, Miki-san?”

What kind of a sick joke was this? Sayaka was dumbstruck by the Incubators’ demands. She was being asked to choose between death and grave dishonor. Neither of those choices would have brought Sayaka the happiness she sought.

Neither of those choices would make the dull pain she felt in her heart go away.

However, she had no choice but to choose.

Sayaka gritted her teeth and was about to give her reply when she suddenly heard distant gunfire. Then, the Incubator seated before her had a hole torn through its head and the creature fell dead.

The sophomore whipped her head to the source of the sound, but she gasped when she saw the gunner,

“S-Saotome-sensei?”

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Episode 34 Preview**

Fog rises up to the heavens,

Taking the shape of this false prison dome,

Terrors around us loom,

As they destroy what we call home.

 ...

The children are haunted by chains that bind them.

The children have taken up arms.

 ...

But they shall not be alone.

 ...

The happy lives that we have lived,

Is breaking, bursting at the seams,

So I shall dance as I once danced,

To the Waltz of the Mermaid Queen.

 

- _Kazuko Saotome_ -


	20. The Waltz of the Mermaid Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! Elias_Pedro here. Sorry for the long delay in updates lately - but life had other plans for me haha. I also had a whole project that took the most of my time - but I'm back! I also wanted to let you know that I'll be developing this chapter and the rest of this story's chapters in a shorter format than I did before. That means, shorter chapters - and faster production time! I'll try to work for two to three chapters every month.
> 
> This story will be coming to an end soon, and I hope you all will continue to support me on this journey. Cheers~!

**Prologue**

_March 7, 2088 - Law of Cycles_

Sayaka remembered it like it was yesterday.

As the thick clouds that hung over Mitakihara started to give way to the bright afternoon sky, Exemplar Sayaka and the Goddess Madoka visited the Mitakihara General Hospital. The two of them opened the door to a particular private room where Homura Akemi laid unconscious.

A small frown formed on the Goddess Madoka’s lips as she went over to the side of Homura’s bed. She gently felt the time-traveler’s forehead, then the silky, black locks of her braided hair.

Sayaka, however, kept her distance and stayed by the time-traveler’s nightstand. The Exemplar saw her reflection on Homura’s red-framed glasses set on the table. She noticed the shadow of displeasure hanging over her eyes.

Their mission on that day, Sayaka reminded herself, was to find Nagisa Momoe when she disappeared, to reclaim her Soul Gem before it broke and to bring the trumpeter to the Silver Garden. There was no need for them to visit the hospital room of Homura Akemi. The hospital was two full districts away from their objective and their mission was already completed.

Still, Madoka insisted that she wanted to visit Homura - and she wanted Sayaka to accompany her.

That insistence frustrated Sayaka, but she gave in to Madoka’s request.

The Exemplar turned away from her reflection on Homura’s glasses. Then, she looked out the window of Homura’s room as she mused,

“The battle’s over, Madoka. Michi and the others are already getting ready to leave.”

Madoka laid a tender hand on the sleeping Homura’s shoulders as she replied,

“I know that, Sayaka-chan. Just give me a few more minutes. The others will understand.”

A complex expression then grew on Madoka’s face as she asked,

“After all, I can be selfish too, can’t I?”

Sayaka heaved a sigh and stole a sidelong glance of the sleeping Homura.

As things stood, Homura, Mami and Kyouko were among the last Puella Magi left in the world - and the last Puella Magi who they had to bring to the Silver Garden. Sayaka knew that they were all dear to Madoka, but she couldn’t help but feel jealous of the time-traveler.

Homura really did hold a special place in Madoka’s heart. That was plain for Sayaka to see.

Sayaka didn’t like it.

Not one bit.

However, as jealousy brewed in Sayaka’s heart, Madoka spoke up a cryptic voice while she stroked Homura’s hair,

“Sayaka-chan. I have a confession to make.”

The Exemplar turned to Madoka with shock and asked,

“A confession?”

“Yeah. I think I’m sure of it now, Sayaka-chan.”

The Goddess then faced Sayaka with a worried frown. She lowered her eyes to the ground and then joined her hands together as she continued,

“My omniscience is limited. I didn’t foresee Nagisa-chan being trapped in an Isolation Field like this. I’m supposed to be watching over Homura-chan, Mami-san and Kyouko-chan, but I’m afraid that I won’t be able to help them in time again. They’re still in danger. Some kind of ‘Goddess’ I am, huh?”

Sayaka was shocked by Madoka’s deflated statement. She clenched her fists and vociferously disagreed,

“Don’t talk like that, Madoka. You still are the Goddess of Hope! You rewrote the laws of the universe with your wish and gave all Puella Magi a chance to hope again!”

A bittersweet smile grew on Madoka’s lips. She appreciated Sayaka’s sentiment, but the weight of her realization still made her heart sink. Thus, Madoka shook her head and sadly reminded,

“‘Hope’ can only take us so far, Sayaka-chan. How long has it been since we started bringing Puella Magi to the Silver Garden? Almost a year now, right?”

“That’s right - but what are you trying to say? We’ll be able to bring everyone to the Silver Garden before the year is out.”

Madoka then looked Sayaka straight in the eyes and bluntly asked,

“And then what? Is that the ‘true miracle’? Are we just going to stay there in the Silver Garden and watch as…”

The Goddess promptly stopped herself as she said this. Sayaka listened intently and wondered just what Madoka was about to say. Then, Madoka turned away from Sayaka and apologized,

“Forget I said that, Sayaka-chan. The stress must be getting to me after all this time.”

Madoka joined her hands behind her back and then made one last request,

“But promise me this, Sayaka-chan. If anything happens to me, I want you to make sure that Homura-chan and the others make it to paradise. Okay?”

…

_June 20, 2088 - Pax Akemi_

In the end, something really did happen to Madoka. The Goddess of Hope was met with a tragedy that she did not foresee.

The very girl that the Goddess sought to protect was the one who tore the Goddess in two. That same girl also came to the paradise prepared for her and destroyed it with her own two hands.

The Archangels that served the Goddess all fell in battle and were forced into a deep sleep, only to awake in a purgatory that was made to resemble a new paradise. Many of them lived on in that purgatory with their eyes wide shut. Meanwhile, the Caretaker of the Silver Garden herself pledged allegiance to that girl - to Homura Akemi.

In light of all this, Sayaka felt that everyone she knew was going mad. They were all enamoured by the artificial yet fragile peace of Homura’s purgatory.

In that purgatory, Sayaka was the only sane one left.

She believed that the fate of the universe rested entirely on her shoulders.

Sayaka was the last person who stood a chance - no matter how small - against Homura Akemi. Or, at the very least, she was the last one who still had the heart to even try.

For that reason, Sayaka swallowed her pride and she brought herself to work with the Incubators. The cryptic Ichibey became the defacto leader of the white ferrets and he helped Sayaka find the Devil Homura’s weaknesses.

In a few weeks’ time, Sayaka and Ichibey found many.

The purgatory that Homura had crafted was a tapestry with a multitude of tiny threads that stuck out. Sayaka and Ichibey found those threads and they prepared to tug at those threads all at once.

Little did Sayaka know that she was yet another one of those threads in Homura’s tapestry. She was just another piece on the chessboard in Ichibey’s eyes.

Once her value to the Incubators was lost, Sayaka found herself face to face with a mere messenger from the Incubator’s new leader. Sayaka was then offered a deal that she couldn’t possible accept.

Death or dishonor.

Despair quickly set into Sayaka’s heart. Whatever decision she made in that situation didn’t matter. The Incubators simply wanted to give her the illusion of choice.

Sayaka looked into the Incubator messenger’s eyes with great disdain. She held great disdain for the Incubator’s treachery, but also disdain for her foolish self.

As Sayaka felt herself trapped in the prison of her own design, a bullet tore through the Incubator messenger’s head and the creature fell dead.

The former Exemplar whipped her head towards the sound of the gunshot. She saw the gunner a hundred meters away and gasped.

Kazuko Saotome was the one holding the weapon - a six-inch Colt Python revolver. The teacher stood with a perfect shooting posture and she held her gun firmly as she eyed the Incubator’s corpse.

Saotome then lowered her revolver and called out to her student,

“Miki-san, are you alright?”

“Saotome… sensei?”

“If you can talk, then you must be fine.”

The teacher had a complex expression about her - completely different from the breezy, airheaded act that she had during class. Saotome’s eyes were sharp and focused behind her glasses while her brow was furrowed with concentration. The way she held her gun with her finger off of the trigger showed her discipline too.

That wasn’t the first time that Saotome fired her weapon to kill - and she could definitely saw the Incubators.

Before Sayaka could ask her homeroom teacher anything, Saotome spoke first with a grave tone,

“Miki-san. You’re a Puella Magi, aren’t you?”

“Sensei… how did you know?”

“It’s a long story, Miki-san - a story as old as this Python here. But we don’t have time to chat.”

The teacher then looked into Sayaka’s blue eyes and explained,

“Derakuruzu-san and Sankuto-san are in bad shape right now. They need your help, Miki-san.”

* * *

  **Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**Waltz of the Mermaid Queen**

* * *

**Sixty-sixth Act - I Was Once Like You**

Kazuko Saotome led Sayaka Miki through the fog-swept school courtyard with cautious steps. The teacher held her revolver with steady hands while Sayaka kept her thumb near the silver ring that she wore on her left middle finger. All the while, the harrowing chants of the Wraiths behind the fog reminded the two of them that they weren’t alone on the school grounds.

Still, Sayaka noticed that Saotome kept a steady pace and kept her cool in the midst of it all. Saotome felt her student’s eyes fixed on her back, so she started to explain,

“When Junko… I mean, Madoka’s mother and I were still students here at the MJHS, the Incubators came to us to make a deal. The two of us had magical potential it seemed - Madoka’s mother especially so. However, we refused the Incubators’ contract. We felt that having a wish in exchange for a life of fighting like that wasn’t a fair deal no matter how you cut it.”

Sayaka hummed with curiosity and asked,

“You didn’t have a wish that you wanted fulfilled, sensei?”

The teacher then snickered as she replied,

“Of course I had wishes. There were many things that I wanted to have in my life - and so did Junko. But the two of us decided to try and reach for those things with our own hands.”

Saotome then glanced at her revolver with thoughtful eyes as she lamented,

“Even though we refused the contracts, the Wraith attacks didn’t stop. We still managed to see the Wraiths and those monsters were attracted to our magical potential. The Incubators must have hoped that Junko and I would change our minds, but we stayed firm. I decided to protect Junko and myself with this revolver here. It’s already saved us many times in the past.”

As the teacher was speaking, the outline of the school’s auxiliary building appeared in the fog. Saotome heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she started making her way towards the entrance as she continued,

“As the years passed, our magical potential dwindled. We stopped seeing Wraiths and the Wraiths lost interest in us. Junko and I were able to carry on with our lives. Junko even started to think that the whole ‘magic’ thing from our middle school was just a case of _eighth-grade syndrome_ or _chuunibyou_ or something. But I kept this revolver as a memento from that time.”

The sound of the chanting Wraiths then grew louder and a chill ran up Saotome’s spine. A shadow hung over the teacher’s eyes as she lamented,

“I didn’t think that I’d have to use it to fight Wraiths again like this!”

A quintet of Wraiths emerged from the fog behind the teacher and her student.

Sayaka instinctively summoned her saber while Saotome pointed her gun at the ethereal beings. The teacher then watched the flickering patterns of pixels that covered their faces and studied their timing.

Once Saotome got the gist of it, she fired a shot at each Wraith’s head in quick succession. The bullets slipped through the gaps in the shifting pixels and struck all the lesser Wraiths cleanly in the head, staggering them.

“Miki-san!” Saotome then barked, “Go for it!”

The saber-fighter nodded and she charged towards the five staggered Wraiths. Sayaka closed the distance and she skillfully unleashed a flurry of swift slashes. One after another, the lesser Wraiths burst into splatters of blood and white pixels. Then, Grief Cubes fell from where the Wraiths once stood.

Sayaka caught a handful of the Grief Cubes in her hand - a little more than two dozen.

That was strange, Sayaka thought. She was expecting to earn more than just that.

While Sayaka pocketed her cubes, a sixth ethereal creature charged into the scene. The flickering light of a flaming spear cut through the thick fog and Sayaka realized that it was headed straight for her!

Sayaka quickly steeled her stance and she summoned a second saber for herself. She blocked the flaming spear with her two blades, but the impact still pushed her back more than a dozen paces.

Then, just as soon as it came, the flaming spear retreated and flew back to the hand of the Shugen Wraith that threw it.

Kazuko Saotome’s eyes turned blank as she saw the Wraith with the flaming spear. That was the first time that she saw a Wraith wielding a weapon like that.

That Wraith, however, wasted no time and charged at the teacher and her student.

As soon as the Shugen Wraith drew near, however, the windows of the auxiliary building’s hallways slid open. The barrels of eleven automatic weapons then emerged from the thresholds - nine M16 assault rifles and two M60 machine guns. Those weapons were trained at the Shugen Wraith and were in the hands of the girls of the Broadcasting Club.

Esperanza Salita, the club president, wielded one of the M16’s as she roared with firm determination,

“SUPPRESSION FIRE!”

At her command, the eleven guns opened fire on the Shugen Wraith and peppered it with lead. The sheer volume of gunfire staggered the sturdy Wraith and exposed its vulnerable head.

Esperanza then quickly fitted a M203 underbarrel grenade launcher to her rifle. She skillfully loaded her grenade launcher, aimed at the Shugen Wraith’s head then declared,

“40mm, on the way!”

She pulled the trigger and shot a grenade at the staggered Wraith. A small yet powerful explosion then tore through the Wraith’s head and the creature burst into a mess of black blood, pixels and Grief Cubes.

Sayaka and Saotome shielded their eyes from the bloody mess. Then, they heard Esperanza again as she gestured to them,

“Come on over, Ate Sayaka, Saotome-sensei. We’ll cover you!”

Sayaka and Saotome lowered their hands and they saw a myriad of lesser Wraiths slowly making their way through the fog. All the while, Esperanza’s riflewomen dutifully reloaded their weapons.

The teacher heaved a sigh,

“Children still have to take up arms like this, huh? It’s such a shame.”

She then felt the gun in her hands grow heavy as she lamented,

“The cycle never really ended.”

* * *

  **Sixty-seventh Act - Of Witches And Wraiths**

Sayaka and Saotome hurried up the spiral staircase of the auxiliary building as the sound of heavy gunfire echoed in the cylindrical stairwell. They reached the third floor landing where they found the eleven girls of Esperanza’s team shooting at the thick formation of Wraiths approaching through the fog.

The focused gunfire of Esperanza’s team steadily picked off the Wraiths, but the lanky monsters shot back. They fired black, ethereal beams that shattered windows and fractured the walls of the third floor hallway.

Sayaka furrowed her brow.

If the lesser Wraiths were able to damage the physical environment like that, then there must have been more Shugen Wraiths still lurking in the fog.

Still, as soon as the barrage of black beams tapered off, Esperanza’s team answered back by lobbing grenades at their foes.

Explosions then rocked the courtyard and broke the orderly formation of the lesser Wraiths. The lanky monsters realized how entrenched their enemies were, so they promptly retreated to regroup.

Esperanza’s team, however, kept their guns trained at the courtyard.

They knew that the Wraiths would be back soon before long - and they would be back in force.

As the girls were reloading their guns and checking their weapons, Esperanza noticed Sayaka and the teacher Saotome at the landing.

Esperanza set down her assault rifle and walked over to the two as she spoke,

“Ate Sayaka, Saotome-sensei! I’m glad you’re both safe.”

Saotome nodded but she quickly asked with stark concern,

“How are Derakuruzu-san and Sankuto-san doing?”

A troubled expression grew on Esperanza’s face when the teacher asked this. The captain hesitantly turned to the door of her Broadcasting Club’s room as she tried to explain,

“They’re still in bad shape. My deputy… I mean, my vice president Yolanda is taking care of them… but we don’t really know how we can help them at this point…”

Esperanza hung her head a little lower as she turned to Sayaka and continued,

“Saotome-sensei was with us when the Wraiths started manifesting in the campus. The Shugen Wraiths came out first and threw their flaming spears at the third floor.”

Sayaka tilted her head and asked,

“Why the hell would they want to do that?”

Esperanza shook her head and answered,

“I don’t know. The only thing I can say is that they seemed to be aiming for the Principal’s office.”

The saber-fighter furrowed her brow as she repeated,

“The Principal’s office, huh…?”

If that was the case, then the Wraiths were also there to assassinate yet another one of Homura’s top-level Clara Dolls - Manuke the elder. That meant that Warukuchi - the Clara Doll masquerading as the student council president - was the last target on Ichibey’s hit list.

However, Sayaka didn’t know where that last senior Clara Doll was.

As Sayaka was lost in her thoughts, Esperanza dutifully continued her report,

“When the spears hit the Principal’s office, the girls and I felt the influence of the Wraiths grow incredibly strong. The girls and I - and even Saotome-sensei - weren’t too badly affected, but Ate Lorelei and Ligaya…”

The captain soon found herself at a loss of words. She couldn’t seem to describe what she had seen.

Sayaka heaved a sigh in response and she marched past Esperanza towards the door of the Broadcasting Club’s room. She opened the sliding doors and then found Esperanza’s deputy, Yolanda, fretting over Lorelei and Ligaya.

Both of the ‘Thunder Sisters’ were slumped over the table in the recording booth. Yolanda whirled around as soon as she heard the door open. Then, once she saw Sayaka at the threshold, she blurted out in a panicked mix of Hokkien, Tagalog and Japanese,

“Atsi Sayaka… _diyuskopo_ , I try my best but nothing happen. Atsi Ligaya _at_ Atsi Lorelay _sakit ulo_. Headache. Really bad. Cannot move.”

Sayaka stepped into the clubroom then into the recording booth to have a better look at the ‘Thunder Sisters’. The saber fighter felt their pulses first and tried to get their temperatures. Their hearts seemed to be racing and they were both assailed by high fevers.

She then eyed the metal bracelet that Ligaya wore on her left wrist and the back of Lorelei’s neck. Just as Sayaka thought, there were traces of powerful yet unstable magical energy etched where the Thunder Sisters’ Soul Gems once were.

Saotome and Esperanza entered the clubroom as well and they saw Sayaka observing the Thunder Sisters with dismay. Sayaka realized that she had an audience, so she gave her bleak observation,

“This isn’t looking good. Lorelei and Ligaya are in a state of flux right now. Their memories are coming back to them and they’re conflicting with the world around them. That shouldn’t have been this bad of a problem by itself, but the malicious influence of the Wraiths is making it worse.”

Sayaka then glanced at the pained expressions on Lorelei’s and Ligaya’s faces and turned as she added,

“At this rate, unless we do something, their Witches are going to violently manifest - just like they did before the Law of Cycles.”

A puzzled look grew on Saotome’s face at the mention of ‘Witches’. However, harrowing shadows hung over Esperanza’s and Yolanda’s eyes when they heard this.

After a moment of heavy silence, Esperanza joined Sayaka and Yolanda in the recording booth and proposed,

“We don’t have enough time - or paper charms - to do a proper Awakening ritual. We have to get them out of here before the Wraiths call out their Witches!”

Saotome then adjusted her glasses as she promptly offered,

“My car is parked near the auxiliary building. I can drive these two out of the district. That should be far enough, right?”

Sayaka laid her hands on the table as she considered the plan that Esperanza and Saotome were hatching up. However, she looked out of the recording booth’s window and the fog-swept scene beyond the glass as she ruefully mused,

“That’s a good plan - but I don’t know if we’ll be able to do that.”

She then noticed a shimmer of light from the normally transparent barrier of the Isolation Field and added,

“After all… we’re trapped right now in ths campus. All of us.”

Esperanza whirled towards Sayaka in panic and gasped,

“What do you mean… trapped!?”

Sayaka looked into the captain’s eyes and explained in a matter-of-factly tone,

“The Incubators royally screwed us over. The entire school’s locked up in an Isolation Field - the latest model too. Judging by how thick the fog is, I don’t think we’ll last long even if we barricaded ourselves in here.”

The saber-fighter’s brow furrowed as she spat,

“Those little fuckers are probably on the other side recording what goes on here in the school. They’re gonna watch a goddamn bloodbath with those beady red eyes of theirs...”

This time, Saotome went over to Sayaka and interrupted her,

“And you’re just going to let them do as they please, Miki-san!?”

“Saotome-sensei…?”

“I’ve held my tongue when you started becoming a delinquent student in my classes, Miki-san, but I can’t stand by and watch you go down this path.”

Sayaka tried to shrug and turn away from the teacher, but Saotome cornered her student and reminded,

“Not only are you my student, but you are also a Puella Magi! I know what it’s like - watching generation after generation of Puella Magi going through that cycle!”

Sayaka shot a glare back at her teacher and lashed,

“You don’t understand the situation I’m in, Saotome-sensei!”

The teacher didn’t flinch. Instead, she looked straight back into Sayaka’s eyes and answered,

“I might know your situation better than you think.”

Saotome saw her own reflection in Sayaka’s blue eyes and passionately continued,

“You want to protect Madoka-chan just like how I wanted to protect Junko - Madoka-chan’s mother - back then! I’m not far off, am I?”

Sayaka was taken aback by the teacher’s guess. Saotome knew that she struck a nerve, so she pressed on and urged,

“If that’s the case, then you have to keep protecting Madoka-chan. I’ve been protecting Madoka-chan too - in my own way. If the two of us are lost here, then how do you think Madoka-chan will take it?”

Tears started to form in Sayaka’s eyes as Saotome spoke. The teacher then laid a hand on the saber-fighter’s shoulders and reminded,

“You are a Puella Magi - a symbol of hope and despair. Your wish brought about a miracle for you - but you are a miracle for this world, Miki-san. You are worth much more than you think you are.”

Saotome then wiped her student’s tears with a handkerchief then gently spoke,

“So, please fight for us, Miki-san. Fight for Madoka-chan. Become the miracle that you want to see in this world.”

Sayaka was silent for a while, but she glanced at the sky beyond the school walls again. The saber fighter then clenched her fists and spoke beneath her breath,

“I’ll… make something happen. I think I have an idea.”

Esperanza then faced Sayaka an encouraging smile and reminded,

“The girls and I will do what we can to help you out too.”

Saotome then adjusted her glasses and grinned as she chimed in,

“And I’ll make sure that Lorelei and Ligaya make it out safe and sound.”

Sayaka nodded back at her teacher and to the girls of Esperanza’s team. She then closed her eyes and joined her hands together near her heart.

An ethereal gust then blew through the clubroom, casting Sayaka’s long, blue hair skyward. Powder blue light surrounded Sayaka and transformed her school tracksuit into her Puella Magi attire. Then, beyond the clubroom window, the towering figure of the Witch Oktavia von Seckendorff appeared.

Sayaka opened her eyes and smiled as she turned to Oktavia. The saber-fighter then commanded her Witch,

“Oktavia. Tear through that wall.”

The armored mermaid Witch replied with an unintelligible noise that lightly shook the entire auxiliary building. Oktavia then turned around and brought its large blade into existence as it floated towards the Isolation Field wall.

Sayaka then turned to the others in the room and explained her plan,

“I don’t know how strong the Isolation Field will be, but I’m sure that Oktavia will find a way. In the meantime, let’s help bring Lorelei and Ligaya to Saotome-sensei’s car. As soon as we have an opening, Saotome-sensei will drive the two out of the district to safety.”

The saber-fighter then summoned one of her blades and confidently caught it by the handle as she added,

“The girls and I will keep the Wraiths busy until then and we’ll buy Saotome-sensei time to escape. Then - we’ll get the hell out of here ourselves. Understood?”

* * *

**Sixty-eighth Act - The Battle of the Mitakihara Junior High School**

Thunderous noise rocked the entire campus as the Witch Oktavia struck the invisible walls of the Isolation Field with her heavy blade. The mermaid witch swung her blade with every ounce of power that it could muster, but the Isolation Field was incredibly tough.

However, slowly but surely, small cracks started to appear on the transparent walls.

The unsettling racket quickly drew the attention of the Wraiths lurking around the fog-swept campus. Thus, the etheal Wraiths turned their attention to the Witch Oktavia.

The lesser Wraiths formed a front line of tight formations as they marched toward the mermaid Witch. Five Shugen Wraiths hovered behind their wall and held their flaming spears up high.

The Shugen Wraiths were like whalers preparing their harpoons for their prey.

As soon as they steadied their hands, the Shugen Wraiths hurled their flaming spears at Oktavia’s back. The spears sailed over the thick veil of fog and traced five lines of otherworldly fire that illuminated the campus.

Sayaka watched those five spears from the rooftop of the auxiliary building and she shook her head with displeasure. The saber-fighter then held out her arm to the side and cried out,

“The Five Lillians!”

She then leapt up from the rooftop and spun rapidly midair. Her long, white cape wrapped around her as she spun before unravelling a moment later. Five sabers then shot out from behind Sayaka’s cape and raced after the flaming spears.

The Lillian blades took on lives of their own and purposefully struck the flaming spears to deflect them. Thus, the flaming spears dug into the invisible walls of the Isolation Field and got stuck.

No matter how hard the Shugen Wraith tried, they couldn’t call back their flaming spears at all. The Lillian blades, on the other hand, all returned to Sayaka’s side and floated around her obediently.

Sayaka then ran a hand through her hair and felt the fortissimo pin that she wore. She then fondly mused,

“Fortissimo means _really loud_ , doesn’t it, Madoka?”

The saber-fighter then grabbed on of her Lillian blades by the handle and energetically slashed it through the air as she cried,

“Looks like I might live up to that after all~!”

Sayaka went over to the edge of the rooftop and the rest of her Lillian blades followed her. She watched her disarmed foes below, and shouted out,

“Here we go!”

At this mark, Sayaka leapt off of the rooftop as her blades followed her into the fray. All the while, Esperanza Salita’s team found their marks beyond the fog and gave Sayaka covery fire.

The battle was quickly joined and the blistering assault cut down lesser Wraiths with gunfire and skillful slashes of the Lillian blades. All the while, Sayaka cut a path through the ethereal masses towards the Shugen Wraiths.

…

A good distance away from the battlefield, at the parking lot of the school, Saotome was helping the struggling Lorelei and Ligaya into her car. She sat Lorelei at the backseat and Ligaya at the passenger’s seat, making sure that they were both wearing their seatbelts. Then, as she sat down at the wheel, she turned towards the fierce battle near the auxiliary building where brilliant flashes of blue magic and glowing bursts of automatic gunfire illuminated the fog.

Saotome then turned towards the massive mermaid witch stubbornly attacking the invisible barrier that trapped them all. The teacher observed the mysterious creature that Sayaka called to aid them and hummed,

“So that’s a ‘Witch’, huh?”

The word ‘Witch’ lingered in Saotome’s mind. She felt like she heard about the ‘Witches’ somewhere in the past, but her memory of them didn’t seem to add up somehow.

That wasn’t the time to be worrying about such trivial things, she quickly reminded herself. After all, she still had to bring Lorelei and Ligaya to safety.

The teacher turned to her two passengers and firmly assured,

“I’m going to get you both out of here, okay? You can count on me.”

As Saotome was speaking, the teacher heard a loud, cracking noise that resounded throughout the campus. She then watched as a small section of the Isolation Field shattered to create a small fracture that opened up the school driveway.

That was Saotome’s cue to get going.

The teacher put on her own seatbelt and started the engine of her car. However, she quickly noticed a large shadow that swept over the campus.

Saotome raised up her head and she saw a gigantic figure floating up above the fog. It was an odd-shaped presence and looked completely different from the Wraiths that she had seen before.

The gigantic figure even dwarfed the large Witch Oktavia.

As soon as that massive creature appeared, the lesser Wraiths and the Shugen Wraiths turned their attention away from the rampaging Sayaka and the gunners of Esperanza’s team. Even the Witch Oktavia seemed to be ignored by then.

Instead, Saotome felt as if those Wraiths were now looking squarely at her and her two unconscious passengers.

Thus, the teacher took a deep breath and started driving her car through the breach in the barrier.

…

Back in the fray, Sayaka noticed the sudden shift in the Wraiths’ attention. That shift gave Sayaka a few openings to take down two Shugen Wraiths who were left behind by their escorts of lesser Wraiths.

That was strange. Weren’t the lesser Wraiths supposed to protect their superiors, the Shugen Wraiths, at all costs?

Sayaka slashed her blade through the air and cast off the black blood that stained her weapon while the rest of her Lillian blades floated in a circle around her.

Then, she noticed the massive shadow that hung over her. Sayaka dared to raise her eyes up to the sky and she found the culprit - a gigantic Wraith that ascended the chain of command.

Sayaka remembered the name of that particular creature. Ichibey once mentioned it to her during their discussions - the Satori Wraith.

It was a Shugen Wraith that, according to Ichibey, successfully ascended to a higher plane of awareness through meditation. Sayaka knew that the Shugen Wraith would have cast off even more of its human features in its harrowing search for perfection. However, she had never seen one before - nor did she know what the creature was capable of.

Whatever it was, the Satori Wraith was a creature that Sayaka unwittingly helped Ichibey bring to existence. Now, that creature was the leader of the ethereal pack assaulting the school campus.

That was Ichibey’s ace in the hole - a creature that Sayaka and company couldn’t possibly have taken down on their own.

Esperanza’s gunners noticed the unwelcome giant hovering above the fog, so they tried to shoot it down to no avail. The ethereal creature shrugged off 5.56mm and 7.62mm bullets as if they were nothing more than pebbles thrown by children.

The captain quickly realized that their small arms fire wouldn’t even scratch the new creature.

As Esperanza tried to figure out a plan of action, a dozen cube-shaped silhouettes appeared to detach from the new Wraith’s body. Those cubes started growing larger as they fell and made an unsettling whistling noise.

It was like the sound that mortars made when they were about to fall close by.

However, as the cubes drew closer to the auxiliary building, it quickly became clear that they were more like meteors than mortars.

The cubes were going to crush the auxiliary building!

Just as Esperanza and her gunners were about to panic, the Witch Oktavia leapt to their aid. The mermaid witch slashed her massive sword at the white cubes and pulverized them one by one. She then placed her armored body between the rest of the cubes and the auxiliary building to protect Esperanza’s team.

Once the cubes were destroyed, Oktavia gracefully descended to the auxiliary building and faced the girls in the third floor hallway to check on them.

Esperanza and her team were puzzled at first, but the captain gave the mermaid witch a sharp salute. The rest of her team followed suit.

Oktavia tilted her head curiously but clumsily returned the gesture before long. Then, the mermaid witch descended further down towards Sayaka and held out her metallic hand.

Sayaka hopped onto Oktavia’s hand and then gave her command,

“That Satori Wraith’s starting to piss me off. Let’s go hunting, Oktavia!”

Oktavia nodded and replied with a blurb of Germanic runes. Then, the Witch carried her master skyward toward the massive Satori Wraith.

…

As soon as Sayaka and Oktavia flew over the thick fog, they came face to face with the grotesque figure of the Satori Wraith for the first time.

It was a macabre hybrid of the human physique with abstract geometric figures. There was a muscular torso of a human male whose ribs - and anything below that - had been ripped off. A series of white cubes trailed down from where the lower half of the human spine should have been, growing like cubic grapes on a vine.

Three flat but adjoined triangles then protruded from where the arms should have been. A flat octagonal shape formed a halo-like shield behind the torso’s back while a solid black triangle appeared where the creature’s head should have been. All the while, a myriad of white cubes of various sizes that had broken off from the Satori Wraith’s spine floated around the creature.

The Satori Wraith then noticed its two unwelcome guests in the sky. The cubes that orbited the massive Wraith suddenly shot towards Sayaka and Oktavia one after another.

Sayaka held onto Oktavia’s metallic hand while the Witch maneuvered to evade the cubes. All the while, Oktavia swung her massive blade to pulverize what white cubes she could as Sayaka’s Lillian blades struck down the smaller cubes that got too close for comfort.

Despite their valiant efforts, Sayaka and Oktavia quickly realized that there were too many cubes for the two of them to handle. All the while, new cubes ‘ripened’ on the spine of the Satori Wraith to join the fray.

A change of plan was in order.

Sayaka let go of the Lillian blade in her hand and let it join its sister swords in flight. The saber righter then produced two handsful of her powder blue paper charms and tossed them around herself and Oktavia.

As soon as the paper charms took flight, Sayaka and Oktavia disappeared from sight.

Shocked by the disappearance of its foes, the Satori Wraith mentally urged its cubes to fly wildly around it in all direction. However, the cubes couldn’t seem to find their marks.

Seconds later, the cloaking effect wore off - but that was all the time that Sayaka and Oktavia needed to close the distance. The moment that the Satori Wraith saw its foes again, it was already too late!

Sayaka tightly held onto Oktavia’s metallic hand and she braced for impact as the mermaid witch prepared to tackle the Satori Wraith with her armored shoulder.

Oktavia slammed into the Satori Wraith’s torso and knocked the ethereal creature back a few meters. Then, with a powerful swing of her massive blade, Oktavia followed through with a backhand slash.

The backhand slash tore through the thick skin of the Satori Wraith’s torso and revealed a beating black cube where a human heart should have been. The black cube was thick and dense, but Oktavia’s slash cut open its outer shell.

Thus, Sayaka let go of Oktavia’s hand and she leapt towards the Satori Wraith’s beating black heart. The saber fighter grabbed two of her Lillian blades while the other three followed her through the sky.

Sayaka then closed her eyes again and thought out loud as she focused her magic,

“Madoka… can you still hear me? If you can, then listen to me! Remember our covenant!”

She opened her blue eyes intently and her irises started to glow with a faint yet distinctly golden sparkle as she valiantly roared,

“Help me bring justice to this world!”

As soon as she did, a pair of large, charcoal-grey wings sprouted out from behind Sayaka’s back. The wings were much darker than the immaculately white wings that she once had - and they were stained in Sayaka’s crimson red blood from their crude emergence - but they were wings all the same.

Sayaka let her wings spread out. Then, the charcoal-grew wings flapped together in one graceful motion, propelling Sayaka forward at breakneck speed.

The fallen angel then roared as she and her blades tore through the Wraith’s damaged heart.

The Satori Wraith moaned in pain as its body started to disintegrate.

However, one last white cube ripened on the vine of the Satori Wraith’s spine as the massive creature realized it was dying.

Sayaka and Oktavia prepared to defend themselves from the dying Wraith’s last cube, but the cube whizzed past the witch and her master. Instead, the cube shot toward the blue subcompact that was making its way down the school driveway.

The saber-fighter’s heart sank as she finally realized Ichibey’s real goal in that chaotic afternoon - to kill Kazuko Saotome.

* * *

  **Sixty-ninth Act - Heart Of Iron**

Saotome gripped her steering wheel as she drove her blue subcompact through the breach in the Isolation Field. All the while, she saw the silhouette of a white cube chasing after them in her rear view mirror.

The teacher floored the gas pedal and tried to outrun the cube, but the cube relentlessly kept on picking up speed. All the while, the winged figure of Sayaka Miki desperately flew after the cube.

However, it was already clear that Sayaka wouldn’t make it.

The gravity of their situation dawned upon Saotome. There wasn’t much time left before the white cube crushed her car from behind.

Saotome felt her heart racing when Ligaya suddenly gave off a pained grunt. The Filipina then turned towards the driving teacher and weakly croaked,

“Saotome… sensei…?”

The teacher furrowed her brow and asked,

“Derakuruzu-san!? What’s wrong?”

Ligaya grimaced from pain as sweat slid down her brow. However, she still stubbornly forced herself to speak,

“Make the car… facce the cube. The engine block… can absorb… impact…”

“That cube is going much faster than us, Derakuruzu-san. It’ll be an incredibly strong impact - there’s no way we’ll survive it!”

Ligaya then struggled to open one wincing eye as she showed Saotome the back of her left hand. There was a silver ring adorned with a dark yet distinctly olive green gem on Ligaya’s left middle finger.

Saotome realized what that ring was, but the Filipina spoke before the teacher could,

“Don’t worry… I can be... strong too…!”

The olive green gem reflected off of Saotome’s glasses and the teacher heaved a defeated sigh. The teacher then turned he attention to the steering wheel as she conceeded,

“Alright then, Derakuruzu-san. I’ll take your word for it - but hold on!”

The Filipina weakly nodded as she sank into the passenger’s seat. All the while, she held onto the side door with her left hand as her olive green gem glowed with magic.

Saotome’s blue subcompact then dropped its speed and began a dangerous powerslide that turned the car around in a full 180. The entire car was then promptly wrapped in olive green light as it faced the white cube that had been persistently chasing them.

The teacher took a deep breath then stomped on the brakes with all her might. She pulled on the lever of her handbrake as well and hoped for the best as she found herself face to face with the white cube that had been chasing them.

A split second later, the white cube slammed into the front of the subcompact and the airbags were deployed.

The car was pushed back a great distance as its brakes were overpowered by the cube’s sheer force. However, even as the frame of the car crumpled, the car somehow maintained its integrity.

Before long, the car came to a halt and white cube cracked and pulverized itself against the unnatural resistance.

Sayaka watched with horror as she reached the scene of the impact. She saw the totalled face of the subcompact and the powdered remains of the white cube that struck it. The fallen angel steadied her heart and carefully approached the car to look inside.

The saber-fighter then gasped.

All three passengers were knocked out, but they were all still breathing!

Sayaka noticed the flicker of olive green magic on the frame of the subcompact. That was Ligaya’s fortification magic!

Tears started running down Sayaka’s eyes as relief finally calmed her heart. Then, the immense fatigue that she had been ignoring finally caught up with her.

Sayaka’s vision started to blur and her wings of charcoal grey started to shed its tainted feathers. Then, Sayaka fell and sprawled out powerlessly on the ground.

However, thankful words still escaped from Sayaka’s lips,

“Thank… goodness…”

As soon as she said this, Sayaka blacked out on the hot asphalt.

* * *

  **Epilogue**

_Hours later…_

Sayaka woke up after a while as she heard the distinct sound of a helicopter engine coming to life. The whirring of helicopter blades cast gusts of steady wind against the saber-fighter, but her face was shielded somehow from the manmade wind.

She tried to open her eyes, but her vision was still pitch black. Instead, she felt the texture of a black cloth that was covering her head as well as the cold, metallic sting of handcuffs that tightly bound her wrists together.

Sayaka also felt that she was back in her school tracksuit and the weight of her wings was nowhere to be found. Her magical attire must have fizzled away as well.

The strong hands of two men forcefully held her by the arms as they forced the blinded Sayaka to move forward. Sayaka tried to resist, but she tripped on the helicopter’s low-hanging landing gear.

Sayaka wanted to curse, but her fatigue lingered and she was grossly disoriented. Instead, she heard a familiar voice that she didn’t want to hear - the voice of the MJHS student council president, Noe Ogasawara.

Or rather, as Ichibey once revealed to Sayaka, it was the Clara Doll Warukuchi.

“Now, now, you two. Treat Miki-san right. She will be our guest, after all.”

The two men then propped Sayaka back up to her feet and helped her to board the helicopter. Warukichi’s cold hands then grabbed a hold of Sayaka as well and sat her down at the rear seats of the helicopter.

The two men boarded the helicopter as well and took their seats further at the front near the cockpit. Meanwhile, Warukuchi reached over to the cloth covering Sayaka’s head and pulled it off.

Sayaka gasped for air and winced in pain as the sudden burst of light from the late afternoon sun stung her eyes. Little by little, Sayaka found her bearings. She saw Warukuchi wearing the MJHS school uniform while smiling mischievously at her while the two men who brought her there were wearing the uniforms of the JSDF and were brandishing Howa Type 89 assault rifles.

The saber-fighter also recognized the interior of the helicopter she was in. It was a JGSDF aircraft - a UH-1J ‘Huey’ - that looked as if it had seen better days. A quick glance outside the open doors of the Huey told Sayaka that she wasn’t in Mitakihara anymore. She was on a helipad of the Kasamino Fleet Activities naval base that was facing Tokyo Bay.

Sayaka grumbled to Warukuchi and demanded,

“Why… am I here…?”

Warukuchi scoffed in reply. She then brought out a blood-stained charcoal grey feather and playfully observed it as she mused,

“Why indeed. We should be asking you that question, you know - after we found you there out cold on the pavement of the Eighth District avenue.”

“Don’t fuck with me…”

“Ah, language please. I still am your student council president after all, noi. I can still book you for demerits - though you already have a lot.”

Warukuchi then let the tainted feather go as she nonchalantly added,

“Besides, I’m not the one who wanted to bring you here. Homura Akemi did.”

Sayaka turned to where Warukuchi was facing and she saw Homura there on the helipad. The time-traveler’s tired, purple eyes met with Sayaka’s bloodshot ones as Homura boarded the helicopter.

Homura then sat across from Sayaka and faced her squarely as she asked,

“Sayaka Miki. Do you realize what you have done?”

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**Chapter 35 Preview**

...

_The late afternoon sun casts its warm light,_

_But it does not reach our frozen hearts._

...

_The bay shimmers with immense beauty,_

_But it offers us no solace._

...

_Our hearts are riddled with many questions,_

_But we speak with blades and gunfire._

...

_Deeper and deeper into the depths we fall,_

_Carrying an illness that never healed._

...

Homura Akemi


	21. An Illness That Never Healed

**Prologue**

Frantic pandemonium greeted Michi Hideyoshi and Elise de Lamarliere as they entered the lobby of the Mitakihara General Hospital. Muffled ambulance sirens flooded the lobby from outside while the unnerving din of patients being carted up and down the hospital halls resounded from within. PA announcements were made one after another but they were drowned out by the urgent cries of the hospital staff and the labored groans of their patients.

All the composure and precise order of modern Japanese society bent in the face of the sudden, massive disaster that struck the Ninth District of Mitakihara. While Michi and Elise made their way through that frenzied hall, the two of them felt like they were back in the heat of the two world wars.

They absolutely despised it.

Still, Michi and Elise braved the frantic crowds and navigated through the converging rivers of people in the lobby.

The two girls saw the hospital’s many elevators filled to bursting, so they decided to climb up the staircases instead. That gave them a small bit of respite as they climbed together up to the eighth floor.

On their way up, the girls had a view of the usually serene Mitakihara River beyond the stairwell windows. That river, however, was reflecting the flashing, harrowing lights of the ambulances and emergency vehicles crossing the highway bridges. All the while, military helicopters were flying low overhead and disturbed the waters.

In the face of the ‘natural disaster’, the Japanese government declared martial law in the Kanagawa Prefecture. Officially, that order was meant to quicken the aid to the many victims in the Ninth District and to preserve law and order within the prefecture.

Michi, however, knew the actual purpose.

Homura Akemi, through her Clara Dolls in power, ordered the Japanese government to hunt down the Incubators. While rescue vehicles were flooding into Kanagawa Prefecture from its neighbors, the military and prefectural police formed an armed perimeter around Kanagawa.

People were let through without issue, but Incubators were shot down with silenced automatic weapons. Meanwhile, detention centers for Incubators around the country - and even around the world were systematically ‘liquidating’ their already tortured inmates.

The Greater Mitakihara Area, on the other hand, had police and military strike forces combing the metropolis for the white ferrets, leaving countless bullet casings and Incubator carcasses in their wake.

As this massacre went on, the Mitakihara Quartet unwittingly played their own role in the unprecedented crisis. Mami was questioning and watching over Esperanza Salita and the girls of the Broadcasting Club while Kyouko and Nagisa patrolled the city, unaware of the government’s Incubator hunts.

Michi and Elise, on the other hand, had their own roles too.

The two girls reached the eighth floor of the hospital and they walked with brisk, purposeful steps. Their destination was Room 812 at the middle of the hall - a shared room that was somewhat sheltered from the chaos in the rest of the hospital.

Michi and Elise stood before the door and they took a moment to compose themselves. They then gently opened the door and entered the room together.

At one end of the room, they found their teacher Kazuko Saotome and Madoka’s mother lying in hospital beds side by side. The two of them looked quite worse for wear, but they were both in stable condition already.

Saotome and Madoka’s mother were lucky, Elise explained. The Mitakihara Quartet arrived just in time to snag Junko from the snares of death in the Ninth District. On the other hand, Saotome was protected by Sayaka Miki and the girls of the Broadcasting Club.

Thankful as they were to see the two adults recovering well, Michi and Elise were there to see the other two occupants of the room at the opposite end of the room - Lorelei Sankt and Ligaya de la Cruz. Their two dorm mates were also bedridden, but they were in much better shape than the adults.

It didn’t take Michi and Elise to notice the peculiar silver rings that their dorm mates were wearing again on their left middle fingers. Apparently, in the heat of the separate battle in the Mitakihara Junior High School, their sleeping magical abilities were awakened once more.

Elise heaved a sigh and added,

“If it weren’t for Ligaya’s magic, she, Lorelei and Saotome-sensei wouldn’t be here right now. At least - that’s what Akemi-san said before she left.”

While Elise was speaking, the bedridden girls stirred in their beds. Ligaya managed to come to first and she noticed their two visitors.

The Filipina was still in pain from her entire ordeal, but she kept one eye open as she croaked,

“Hehe~ I didn’t think… that we’d get visitors… this soon…”

Ligaya then wore a pained yet playful smirk as she snickered,

“The two of you… really are… joined at the hip…”

Michi’s face flushed red when Ligaya teased them. The naginata-wielder was preparing herself to retort when Ligaya closed her eyes and she let herself sink into her pillow. The Filipina then thoughtfully mused,

“You know - I always wondered… why Lorelei and I… were so drawn to you two. Turns out… it really was fate. All of us… were Archangels… from the Silver Garden...”

Ligaya raised up her left hand and showed Michi and Elise the silver ring that reappeared on her middle finger. The Filipina then morbidly joked,

“The Incubators… weren’t kidding… about that lifetime of fighting thing…”

Michi took Ligaya’s hand and ruefully agreed,

“More than a lifetime, Ligaya. Indeed, it is a shame - but I’m afraid that our battles may be far from over.”

As Michi was speaking, the door to Room 812 slid open again. The towering figures of Audrey Burnham and Serafina Larivenko appeared behind the door. The American stepped inside first and showed her silver ring as she knowingly answered Michi’s rueful words,

“At least we’ll be facing it together again. Just like old times.”

Serafina beamed as she followed suit then laid a hand on Audrey’s shoulder and added,

“And this time, ‘Carissima’ Elise will be fighting on our side too.”

The French girl folded her arms defensively and scoffed,

“That should not be much of a surprise. To me, Michi still is the Caretaker of the Silver Garden. My loyalty remains with her.”

Elise then stood firmly and declared,

“Plus, more importantly, Michi is my friend - as are all of you. I will fight for all of you until my dying breath!”

When Elise said this, Lorelei stirred up in her bed in high spirits despite her poor condition. The former Magni Domina joined her bandaged hands together and grinned as she chimed with a pleasant tone,

“Well said, Elise! My dearest Carissima is growing up so fast~! You’re also finally starting to be honest with yourself.”

Michi turned towards Lorelei with curiosity and asked,

“Honest with herself?”

A sly smirk grew on Lorelei’s lips as she urged Michi to lean closer. The German girl then whispered,

“You know, back in 1939, Elise talked an awful lot about you… oof...!”

Before Lorelei could say anymore, Elise promptly smothered her with a pillow and interrupted,

“Now, now, you need to rest, Lorelei! Please go back to sleep!”

Michi saw this skirmish and she was quickly overcome with laughter. Then, one after another, the other Archangels joined in on the lighthearted moment until Lorelei yielded to the suddenly bashful Elise.

The former Caretaker of the Silver Garden watched her fellow Archangels there in that room and a warmth filled her heart.

She missed them all.

She missed being with them like this.

The barrier of memory that kept them all apart was now gone, so Michi faced her friends with thankful words and an earnest smile,

“The circumstances may not be ideal, but I am glad that the six of us are together again. I say this from the bottom of my heart!”

Elise’s face flushed red as she regarded Michi’s smile - the honest smile of the girl who once became a Dreadnaught Witch.

If Walpurgisnacht could find a way to smile that brightly again, Elise thought then surely Sayaka and Homura could too. That must have been why Michi fought so hard - in spite of all terror - to seek a peaceful solution.

However, an inking of fear suddenly hung in the air as Michi looked out the window. She saw a triad of military helicopters flying in formation towards Tokyo Bay and mused,

“Come to think of it… where _did_ Miki-senpai go…?”

* * *

  **Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**An Illness That Never Healed**

* * *

**Seventieth Act - Huey Overture**

Back at the helipad of the Kasamino Fleet Activities naval base, a lone UH-1J helicopter prepared for takeoff. Sayaka Miki, whose shackled hands laid on her lap, sat face to face with Homura Akemi and her last remaining senior Clara Doll, Warukuchi. All the while, two armed soldiers sat behind her at the front rows of seats and watched her every move.

Sayaka stole a glance out of the open helicopter doors and she saw the entire naval base on full alert as heavy equipment of all kinds were being deployed. Some sort of major operation must have been underway, Sayaka thought.

While Sayaka was pondering, Warukuchi mischievously snickered at Sayaka’s wretched state and taunted her. Homura, on the other hand sat in a cryptic yet expectant silence. The time-traveler’s question from earlier then resurfaced in Sayaka’s mind,

“ _Sayaka Miki. Do you realize what you have done_?”

Sayaka kept quiet as well as the helicopter’s engine roared to life. After a short while, Warukuchi gestured to the two soldiers who promptly closed the helicopter doors at her command.

Then, the helicopter got off of the ground and the cramped interior of the Huey felt even smaller for Sayaka.

At this moment, Homura’s deep purple eyes challenged the oceans of Sayaka’s blue. The tense silence felt louder than the whirring helicopter blades above her, but Sayaka didn’t yield. She simply glared back at Homura and forced a stalemate.

Homura realized this and leaned back into her seat. She folded her arms and then coldly probed,

“Sayaka Miki. You are aware of what’s been going on in the past few hours, aren’t you?”

Sayaka furrowed her brow and spat,

“I don’t exactly have a bird’s eye view of things like you do, you know. Why don’t you enlighten me, transfer student?”

Homura clenched her fists and lashed back,

“Don’t play dumb with me. The Incubators are mounting an insurrection - and I have every reason to believe that you have been aiding them all this time!”

“That’s bullshit, transfer student!”

“Is it now? Well, not only have you secretly regained your powers as a Puella Magi… you’ve been hiding it with Incubator technology!”

Homura produced a handful of Sayaka’s disenchanted paper charms and tossed them at her captive. The paper charms fluttered down pathetically before Sayaka’s feet as a chill ran up the saber-fighter’s spine. Before Sayaka could even retort, Homura pressed the attack,

“Don’t lie to me, Sayaka Miki. I’ve figured out how these trinkets of yours work. They mask the presence of certain things that you choose. They drew from the Incubators’ Isolation Field technology while your magic gave them a power source.”

The time-traveler then glared at her captive and continued,

“You have also used these paper charms to help assassinate my Clara Dolls!”

“W-what!? I never placed those charms to kill Clara Dolls…! I wasn’t planning to do that!”

Warukuchi suddenly interrupted with a bored yawn. She crossed her legs and countered,

“I don’t believe you, raspberry. And neither does the Mistress.”

Homura nodded. Then, she promptly asked her captive,

“Wasn’t it you who placed paper charms all around the school campus so that you, Esperanza Salita and the girls of the Broadcasting Club could harbor automatic weapons and grenades at school?”

Beads of cold sweat started to form on Sayaka’s brow. She clenched her shackled hands and demanded,

“What the hell did you do to Esperanza and the others!?”

“Hmph… you’re not even going to deny that, huh? Well, calm down. You should be thankful, Sayaka Miki. I was going to ask Warukuchi here to question Esperanza and company - and Warukuchi has her ways of getting the information that she wants. None of them are very pleasant.”

The Clara Doll grinned with delight from the unintentional praise. Homura then reassured,

“I asked Mami to question them for me instead. Esperanza and the others under house arrest in the Hanasou Dorm - and their weapons have been confiscated, of course. Besides, I have no intention of frying small fish when the biggest culprit is staring right back at me now.”

The time-traveler then laid her hands on her lap as she sternly repeated,

“So I will ask you one last time, Sayaka Miki. Have you been working with the Incubators?”

Sayaka lowered her head and stayed silent.

Homura heaved a sigh and explained,

“Just so you know, I have the militaries and police forces around the world hunting down every single Incubator. Kyouko, on the other hand, is patrolling the town to look for stragglers as we speak. Michi and Elise will join her soon - and even Nagisa Momoe will tag along.”

“Nagisa-chan is…?”

Sayaka stopped herself from saying any more. Homura raised her brow with suspicion then concluded,

“The truth will come to light whether you like it or not, Sayaka Miki. So, stop lying to me.”

“Lying… huh?”

Sayaka scoffed at that thought. Then, the saber fighter glared back at Homura and lashed,

“You know, none of this would have happened if you just quietly went with us to the Silver Garden without making a fuss. I wouldn’t have had to resort to such drastic measures!”

A shadow hung over Homura’s eyes as she growled back,

“You don’t understand what you’re talking about, Sayaka Miki. The gravity of the situation is much worse than you can possibly understand!”

“I don’t know what the hell you know, transfer student, but Madoka trusted you! You were the world - the universe to her! And you betrayed her and everyone dear to her by doing what you’ve done! You’re a terrible friend to Madoka!”

The shadow over Homura’s eyes grew thick when she heard this. She then answered with a pained yet scathing hiss,

“You’re the last person I want to hear that from, Sayaka Miki!”

Homura looked straight into Sayaka’s eyes again and tried to use her magic to wipe out Sayaka’s memories like she did before.

However, Homura’s magic fizzled out with flashes of purple light. Perhaps the same trick wouldn’t work twice on Sayaka, Homura wondered. Or could it be that Homura’s magic wasn’t as strong as it was just months ago?

Frustration took hold of Homura’s heart so she turned to her Clara Doll and commanded,

“Warukuchi, have your men open the helicopter door.”

Warukuchi hummed with intrigue as she reminded in a sing-song voice,

“Really? We’re up above Tokyo Bay right now. The winds would be terrible~!”

Homura glared at Warukuchi and lashed,

“If you disobey my commands, the winds will be the least of your concerns. After all, I really want to blow off some steam. Would you like to ‘volunteer’, Warukuchi?”

Warukuchi chuckled and did as she was told.

The soldiers opened one of the doors and the strong breeze flooded the interior, blowing Homura’s and Sayaka’s long locks of hair into chaos. Warukuchi held onto her seat as she spoke and tried to compete with the wind,

“The door is open, my Mistress. That bothersome Michi isn’t here, so you can do as you please~!”

While she was speaking, a triad of military Hueys approached the helicopter and opened their doors as well. Two dozen soldiers with assault rifles and machine guns pointed their guns at the shackled Sayaka Miki. Laser sights traced lines up and down Sayaka’s sides, putting the saber fighter on edge.

Then, all of the sudden, Homura got up from her seat and grabbed Sayaka by the hair. It was at that point that Sayaka realized what Homura had been planning to do all along.

The time-traveler forcefully dragged Sayaka over to the edge of the open helicopter door. Homura felt Sayaka’s long hair and she noticed a stray charcoal grey feather stuck in the midst of the blue locks. She then scoffed at her captive,

“Long hair… experimental magic... and charcoal grey wings. Were you thinking of becoming a ‘Goddess’ yourself? It doesn’t suit you, Sayaka Miki.”

“N-no, I…!”

“If you want to be a ‘Goddess’, then save yourself and fly!”

With that, Homura pushed the shackled Sayaka out of the helicopter.

* * *

  **Seventy-first Act - Making An Example**

Homura watched with disdain as Sayaka Miki fell backwards out of the helicopter. As Sayaka fell, Homura surrounded herself in purple light and transformed her clothes into her Puella Magi attire.

She laid her hand on her silver shield and turned it counterclockwise, freezing the scene around her. The helicopter, the winds and the flashing of emergency vehicle lights throughout the Greater Mitakihara Area came to a halt while Sayaka Miki was suspended in midair.

The saber-fighter’s defiant expression was frozen in time but she still stubbornly glared at Homura Akemi. There was more hatred than fear in Sayaka’s eyes and she had the look of someone who was prepared to fight to the death.

Homura, however, disregarded Sayaka’s time-frozen challenge and simply sat down again. Warukuchi and the soldiers, likewise, continued to move in that paused world.

The Clara Doll turned to Homura for instructions and the time-traveler gave a simple nod. With that, Warukuchi gave her orders,

“Open fire!”

The two soldiers in their helicopter and the twenty four others in the triad of Hueys that joined them, pointed their guns at Sayaka suspended in midair. All the soldiers then pulled their triggers and shot at the suspended Sayaka.

Empty bullet casings flew about and stopped midair around the soldiers. Thousands of shots approached the suspended Sayaka Miki but they all stopped short of actually hitting her.

The soldiers emptied magazine after magazine of rounds until Sayaka’s figure was surrounded by time-frozen shots.

As the firing squads executed their orders, Warukuchi sat down before Homura and curiously asked,

“The raspberry will be in for quite a treat when time resumes, Mistress - though this isn’t as fun as it could be, you know. Weren’t you going to blow off some steam?”

“Hmph. I’m simply tackling this problem in the most efficient way possible, Warukuchi. Sayaka Miki can heal herself rapidly, but this will be an incredibly painful experience for her. Falling into Tokyo Bay will be the icing on the cake.”

“Hmm… but you do know that Sayaka Miki will survive something like this, Mistress. If you would let me join the fray, I’ll make sure that the raspberry dies a slow and painful death.”

“That’s unnecessary, Warukuchi. This encounter alone will show Sayaka the difference between us. We’ll capture her alive and hold her for questioning. That way, she will actually be useful to me for once.”

“Ehhh? How boring~! I want to stab her with my needle then pull off her skin inch by inch. After that, I’ll plunge her into the saltwater with a really big splash! Oh, the pain will numb her mind when I’m done with her! She will _wish_ that she would have died!”

“We need to conserve our strength from hereon out, Warukuchi.”

The Clara Doll furrowed her brow that time and openly challenged Homura,

“Is that what the Second Mistress told you? Is that what Michi Hideyoshi whispered in your ear? You’re beginning to talk a lot like her, you know. I don’t like it, Mistress.”

Homura glared back at her Clara Doll and demanded,

“What are you implying, Warukuchi?”

Warukuchi looked back at Homura and answered sharply,

“I’ll be frank, Mistress. It’s not hard to see that the raspberry thought you were weak. That’s why she even dared to fight you - and that’s why the Incubators were so confident about helping her! Those ferrets may be sniveling rats, but they are rational. Surely, they felt like they had a chance of defeating you - and Sayaka Miki was their trump card.”

Homura glowered at Warukuchi and asked,

“What are you suggesting, then?”

Warukuchi brightened up with a malicious grin as she replied,

“There are times when you have to show your strength, Mistress. Make an example out of Sayaka Miki. Break her apart with your own two hands!”

As Warukuchi said this, Homura’s timestop expired and the distinct sound of shackles breaking apart reached Homura’s ears. The time-traveler then heard bullets bouncing off of metal, followed by the roar of the Witch Oktavia.

Warukuchi smirked as she saw Oktavia’s towering figure protecting Sayaka Miki outside the helicopter doors. The Clara Doll confidently crossed her legs and added,

“Sayaka Miki came here prepared to fight - and I believe that you have to answer her. Unless you want the Incubators to believe that Homura Akemi isn’t invincible after all, you have to show your resolve!”

Homura’s eyes sharpened as she considered Warukuchi’s words. The Clara Doll then playfully offered,

“I can also take care of the raspberry for you if you wish. I have the two frigates of the Mitakihara Squadron and the anti-aircraft detachment of the Kasamino Fleet Activities ready to strike down the raspberry with more firepower than she and her Witch can possibly handle. Harpoon missiles are wonderful weapons against mermaids, after all~!”

Warukuchi grinned at Homura and insisted,

“Give me the order and I’ll obliterate Sayaka Miki with those weapons! But if you do so… you shall prove the Incubators right. You will be saying that you truly are too weak to handle things on your own.”

The Clara Doll then leaned to her side and challenged,

“So. What will it be, Mistress?”

Homura clenched her fists and shot up from her seat as she angrily replied,

“Tell your troops to stand down. I’ll handle her and Oktavia myself.”

Warukuchi’s malicious eyes brightened as she exclaimed,

“That’s the spirit~! Ah! I shall finally be able to see just how wonderful you can be again, Mistress Homura! How I’ve missed this~!”

Homura snorted and slipped past Warukuchi. She then made her way towards the two soldiers and snatched one of the Howa Type 89 assault rifles from them as she warned,

“I don’t want any of you to get in my way!”

* * *

  **Seventy-second Act - The Second Battle of Tokyo Bay**

The barrage of gunfire from the soldiers in the helicopters died down as Sayaka was taking shelter beneath Oktavia’s metallic hands. As soon as Sayaka noticed the pause, she looked up to the helicopter that she was pushed out of.

There, she saw Homura Akemi standing at the threshold while reloading her assault rifle. Sayaka’s eyes met with Homura’s again and the saber-fighter’s quiet challenge was wordlessly answered.

Homura leapt out of the helicopter herself and started peppering Sayaka with bullets from her assault rifle.

The mermaid Witch shielded her master again, but the time-traveler suddenly brought out a string of hand grenades from behind her silver shield.

She unpinned the hand grenades all at once and let them drop down towards Oktavia’s exposed face. Before Oktavia could even react, Homura tossed her assault rifle away and brought out an RPG-7 rocket launcher from behind her shiel that time.

Homura skillfully glanced through the sights of her launcher and promptly pulled the trigger. The rocket struck the string of grenades and started off a chain of explosions that fractured Oktavia’s metallic head and stunned her.

As the dust was still settling, Homura fell down through the smoke and soot then landed on Oktavia’s armored chest. The time-traveler ran on top of the Witch’s armor plates, setting blocks of C4 explosives down with every step that she took.

Just like that, powerful explosions ravaged the helpless Oktavia as Homura raced through to the stunned Witch’s shoulders. The time-traveler made her way to Oktavia’s arm and made her way to the Witch’s hands where Sayaka was supposed to be hiding.

All of the sudden, a quintet of blades suddenly shot out from the spaces between Oktavia’s fingers. The blades then flew menacingly towards Homura.

“Lilian blades, huh?” The time-traveler hummed,

One after another, the blades came after Homura, but she tossed her rocket launcher aside and skillfully evaded the first three blades. The fourth blade flew dangerously close, so Homura deflected it with her silver shield. Then, she pulled out a knife from thin air and parried the fifth.

While Homura was protecting herself, Sayaka appeared behind her and caught two of her Lillian blades. The saber-fighter then ferociously charged at Homura as she roared,

“TRANSFER STUDENT!”

Homura nonchalantly turned around and pulled out her favorite Beretta pistol. She skillfully cocked her pistol in one quick motion and started shooting at Sayaka as quickly as she could pull the trigger.

Sayaka easily blocked Homura’s shots with her Lillian blades and inched forward towards her foe. Then, once Homura emptied her magazine, Sayaka darted forward towards Homura at full speed again.

In the middle of her frantic charge, however, Sayaka suddenly heard an ominous beeping noise coming from the ground. There, she saw was a line of twelve daisy-chained M18 Claymore mines at her feet, all of them showing her the very same message.

‘Front Towards Enemy’

She walked right into Homura’s trap!

All twelve mines detonated at once and a hail of fiery steel balls and shrapnel struck Sayaka, disarming her while sending her flying backwards. Sayaka winced in pain in that split second while the thick, black smoke from the blast blinded her.

Just as Sayaka was about to regain her balance, Homura burst through the smoke with her knife in hand. The time-traveler slashed at Sayaka and cut the saber-fighter’s cheek, drawing blood.

Sayaka desperately called back her Lillian blades and the five swords tried to slash back at Homura. However, the time-traveler retreated behind the thick veil of smoke again.

The saber-fighter then managed to land on her feet and she wondered how she could bring the fight to Homura again. However, Sayaka suddenly felt a circle of cold, blunt steel pressed against the back of her head.

It was the barrel of Homura’s handgun!

Homura forcefully dug the barrel of her Beretta into the back of Sayaka’s head as she viciously growled,

“I’ve had enough of your insolence, Sayaka Miki! Let’s see just how quickly you can heal yourself, shall we?”

Sayaka felt a chill run up her spine as she tried to answer, but Homura promptly pulled the trigger before she could speak.

Sharp pain ravaged Sayaka’s entire being as the bullet cut into the back of her head. The saber-fighter shrieked in fright but her voice became unintelligible as her consciousness was whisked away.

Sayaka’s body grew limp and her blue eyes became blank. Then, the powerful winds above Tokyo Bay blew her lifeless figure off of Oktavia’s arm like a ragdoll, while the Witch herself started fading away into nothingness.

So, just like that, the motionless Sayaka Miki started falling from a thousand meters high, dropping head first into the cold waters of Tokyo Bay.

Homura likewise fell off of the disappearing Witch’s arm, but she also felt oddly lightheaded.

The time-traveler knew that she was falling, but she couldn’t seem to right herself at all. It was as if all the strength in her body was suddenly taken away from her. All the while, Homura’s heart ached.

It was an awfully familiar feeling.

Before she knew it, Homura plunged into the waters of Tokyo Bay herself. She saw the bloodied corpse of Sayaka Miki sinking as well, tracing tendrils of blood through the brackish water.

Sayaka’s body wasn’t moving anymore, but the crescent moon of her Soul Gem was still intact.

Surrounded by the dark waters, Homura felt her mind being swept away along with the current.

What was she doing there again? What was Homura trying to accomplish? Where was she going from there?

Somehow, the time-traveler felt like she had forgotten somewhere along the way.

Homura felt the familiar weight of the Beretta pistol in her hand and she could tell that there was still one last bullet in the chamber.

In spite of her weakness and her aching head, Homura managed to point her pistol at the darkened crescent moon of Sayaka’s gem.

Homura’s resolve was all but gone and her vision was starting to blur, but she forced her pointer finger to brush against the trigger.

All she had to do was pull the trigger one last time. Even underneath the water, that last shot would have been enough to shatter Sayaka’s gem and finish her off for good.

However, a long shadow loomed over Homura. A pair of hands then snatched the Beretta from her already frail grip.

Puzzled, Homura looked up to the person casting that shadow as her consciousness was leaving her. It was the silhouette of Michi Hideyoshi.

* * *

  **Seventy-third Act - Leave It To Me**

Michi swam desperately up to the surface as she brought the lifeless body of Sayaka Miki and the unnaturally frail Homura Akemi up with her. The naginata-wielder surfaced near the Third District quay so she pulled the two girls out of the water there.

Water dripped down Michi’s disheveled hair and drenched her blue kimono, but she paid no attention to herself. Instead, she laid down Homura and Sayaka side by side on the quay and watched them with grave concern.

As soon as she caught her breath, Michi opened her pouch of Grief Cubes and brought out a handful of them. She placed the cubes near Sayaka’s darkened gem to cleanse it, letting the warmth return to Sayaka’s briefly lifeless body.

Slowly but surely, Sayaka’s body started to heal its many injuries.

Michi then quickly turned her attention to Homura. The time-traveler’s eyes were glazed over while her breathing was rasp and uneven. All the while, Homura also kept her hands over her heart as she winced from pain.

Unlike Sayaka, there were no signs of injuries on Homura’s body at all. Not sure of what else to do, Michi laid her hands over Homura’s heart and cast a ray of turquoise blue light onto it.

Homura’s pain seemed to ease, but it wouldn’t go away entirely somehow. Still, this was enough for Homura to regain consciousness and turn to Michi.

The time-traveler then weakly croaked,

“Did I kill… Sayaka Miki?”

Michi shook her head. She then showed Homura her drenched pistol and answered,

“You nearly did - but I stopped you.”

“Why… would you do that?”

“Why did you have to confront Miki-senpai in this manner, Homura-san?”

“We live… in desperate times, Michi. Ichibey… is on the loose… and Sayaka Miki helped him…”

“And that’s enough reason for you to decide that Miki-senpai has to die!?”

“Are you… questioning me? You are… my Exemplar… so carry out my will, Michi!”

“You’re right, Homura-san. I am you Exemplar - but it is the Exemplar’s duty to guide her superiors and carry them on her shoulders! I believe that I am fulfilling my duty to you right now.”

Michi unloaded the pistol and set it aside on the quay. Then, she took Homura’s right hand and explained,

“I danced with the Goddess Madoka earlier today, Homura-san. While I did, I believe that I caught a glimpse of the kind of person that you truly are. Deep inside, you wish to see a happy ending for everyone - even Miki-senpai. Knowing that, I believe that killing Miki-senpai is the last thing you want to do. That’s why I stopped you.”

Homura weakly turned away from Michi and broke her hand free from the naginata-wielder’s grasp. She then saw the thick clouds looming in the horizon and the myriad of military helicopters flying over Tokyo Bay as she lamented,

“It’s already too late for a happy ending, Michi. I don’t even know if we’ll make it to the end of the year like I first thought…”

Homura then grabbed her chest again and grunted,

“I don’t even know if _I’ll_ last for much longer!”

“... Homura-san!?”

“I’m… at wit’s end, Michi! The Incubators… they ransacked my largest stockpiles of Grief Cubes. As things stand… I won’t be able to… keep the universe alive for much longer! Paradise… is slipping through my fingers… and I don’t know… if I can make the sun rise tomorrow…!”

The time-traveler’s grip on her chest tightened as she moaned,

“Even my heart… is about to give up on me!”

“Homura-san! Hey - what’s going on? Tell me!”

“I’ve been sick all this time… Michi. My heart disease… never really went away. My eyesight… has always been poor too. I’ve been using increasingly powerful magic… to keep myself going… but I don’t know how much longer I can go.”

Homura’s cloudy purple eyes then met with Michi’s as she explained,

“I’m going to use my magic… to keep the universe alive from now on. In that time… I may fall into a deep sleep and I will not be able to do anything for myself at all. I’ll let my heart… hang by a thread - which is why I need you to see things through… on my behalf.”

As Homura was speaking, a gust of wind blew by the quay as the UH-1J helicopter flew low. Warukuchi and the two soldiers hopped down onto the quay and approached the three magi.

The Clara Doll put her hands on her hips as she brashly asked,

“It seems that the Second Mistress has interrupted your operation, my dear Mistress. Shall I arrest Michi Hideyoshi for treason?”

Homura turned to her Clara Doll and definitely answered,

“You shall… do no such thing, Warukuchi. From now on… I want you… and everyone beneath you… to follow Michi Hideyoshi’s orders… as if they were my own. I shall… be resting for the foreseeable future… so Michi will be your Mistress from now on.”

Warukuchi gritted her teeth, but she couldn’t argue against Homura.

Michi then turned to Warukuchi and said,

“I will be taking care of Homura-san while she is resting, and I’ll question Miki-senpai when she comes to. In the meantime, Tomoe-senpai will be the one leading the Puella Magi of Mitakihara in Homura-san’s stead. Audrey, Serafina, Lorelei and Ligaya will also be joining our ranks as well. As for you, Warukuchi, I want you to do everything in your power to bring the Incubators to justice!”

Warukuchi looked back at Michi and kept a complex expression about her. Then, after a few moments, the Clara Doll finally conceded,

“As you wish, Exemplar Michi.”

* * *

  **Epilogue**

Later on in the day, at the Mitakihara Central Station, a pack of close to a hundred Incubators scampered through the platforms. Nibey, the timid right hand of Ichibey, led the pack in a hurry. The frantic patter of paws echoed throughout the station as the pack of Incubators rushed toward the hidden Tengoku Line.

Ichibey told them about the Tengoku Line while they were still locked up in the Panopticon Tower. If they could make it through there and operate the Shinkansen train there, they could make it to the Silver Garden. There in that ravaged paradise, Ichibey believed that they could establish a base to raise an army of Wraiths to finally bring Homura Akemi to her knees.

However, JSDF soldiers were giving them chase. Dozens of soldiers carrying Howa Type 89’s swept through the platforms of the station and shot the Incubators on sight.

Nibey watched as his comrades fell by the dozens, but he had to make it through. Ichibey was counting on him to make it through to the Silver Garden.

There was no future for Incubators on the Earth, Ichibey told him and the others. Homura Akemi warned that she could wipe out the entire Incubator race - and the cruel deity of the universe was making good on her threats.

Nibey and his group climbed up the staircase to the elevated walkway as quickly as they could, but the bulk of the soldiers were already catching up to them,

Thus, Nibey’s companions cried out to him,

“Go on ahead of us, Nibey - we’ll distract Akemi-san’s troops!”

Nibey, feeling the weight of human compassion for the first time, felt conflicted but he steeled himself.

He had a mission and he had to see it through.

Thus, Nibey sprinted down the elevated walkway as quickly as his four paws would take him. He found the dark path to the Tengoku Line’s spiral staircase and descended into the darkness. To his surprise, the iron doors to the defunct platform was already open.

He rushed into the platform with a sense of hope budding in his being.

However, as soon as he crossed the threshold, a large, sharp and black needle stabbed him in the back.

The saccharine, patronizing tone of Warukuchi then reached Nibey’s ears,

“Oh dear, looks like I caught a little rat~!”

Nibey winced in pain as Warukuchi pulled him up like a skewered lump of meat. He saw the Clara Doll in her human form, wearing the Mitakihara Junior High School uniform along with her blue school bag.

Warukuchi then dissolved her black needle and let Nibey fall down to the cold, hard floor. As the pitiful creature was bleeding to death, Warukuchi grinned as she hatefully spat,

“The day doesn’t belong to _you_ , rodent!”

The Clara Doll then promptly crushed Nibey’s head beneath her school loafers.

“Eugh… I’m gonna need new shoes.”

As Warukuchi was fretting about her sullied loafers, her WristComm device buzzed. It was a call from Michi Hideyoshi. She heaved a sigh and answered the call.

After a few moments of back and forth, Warukuchi gave her sitrep,

“We’ve secured the Central Train Station, Exemplar Michi. We even snagged Nibey, the second-in-command, and disposed of him. That Ichibey will probably turn up soon too.”

With that, Warukuchi concluded her report and listened to Michi’s new orders. After the Exemplar said her piece over the phone, Warukuchi ended the call.

The Clara Doll then casually sauntered into the Shinkansen train parked at the Tengoku Line platform as she spoke to herself,

“Looks like ‘Exemplar Michi’ wants me to check out the Silver Garden too. Though, I was gonna go there anyways.”

The bullet train doors closed and Warukuchi calmly took a seat. She set her blue bag gently on her lap and watched as the scene beyond the train window shifted on its sublight journey out of the Earth.

Minutes later, the Shinkansen train came to a halt at the makeshift station of the Silver Garden. The train doors opened and Warukuchi got up from her seat and carried her bag again.

She stepped onto the platform and faced the charred, ash-swept scene of the Silver Garden. Then, she opened her schoolbag and a bruised, white head of an Incubator emerged from within.

Warukuchi didn’t look at the creature inside her bag as she spoke,

“I’ve done my end for this part of the deal, Ichibey. Now, I’ll be holding you to yours.”

“But of course, Warukuchi-san. When I’m done with my preparations, you shall have power that will make your Mistress’ magic seem like child’s play.”

“Hehe, I’ll be looking forward to that. But damn - you played Miki-san for a fool and you used all your brothers as goddamn cannon fodder~!”

“It was a necessary sacrifice, Warukuchi. You sacrificed your sisters, Ibari and both Manuke the younger and the older, for this arrangement too.”

“Great minds think alike, you little rat.”

Ichibey then hopped out of the bag and landed on the ash-swept scene. He then turned to Warukuchi and wagged his tail,

“Now, the final phase can begin. I’ll be counting on you again.”

Warukuchi stepped back into the Shinkansen train and hummed with intrigue,

“It’s as good as done. Their days of reckoning are close at hand.”

**To Be Continued**

 


	22. The Garden of Discord

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michi earnestly believes that the Cold War between Homura and Sayaka shouldn't continue, so she decides to take action to mend burned bridges.

**Prologue**

The giant pendulum in Homura’s apartment that once swung tirelessly back and force stood still that early evening. Michi Hideyoshi was helping the winded time-traveler onto her bed when she noticed the pendulum’s long shadow looming over them. Then, after a while, the pendulum dissolved with flashes of soft, purple light and the endless, white expanse of Homura’s room revered back to that of a normal First District apartment bedroom.

The bedroom looked just like the one that Michi and Elise shared in the Hanasou Dormitory, the naginata-wielder thought. The size, the decorations and even the layout of the room was similar to her own.

Perhaps Homura used her own room as the template for when she made the Hanasou back in March. Given the vast responsibilities that were already on Homura’s shoulders, Michi would probably have done the same if she were in that position.

Keeping the universe alive took first priority before designing dormitory rooms, after all.

As Homura settled down on her bed, her cloudy eyes looked up to the ceiling. It was the first time in a long while that she saw that old, plaster ceiling of her apartment without the magical modifications.

Seeing that ceiling reminded her of the time when she was still a weak, bespectacled girl with braided black hair who couldn’t protect herself or the ones she loved.

Now, after she became the deity of the universe, she found herself in that position of weakness yet again. All the while, the Puella Magi who once gave birth to Walpurgisnacht - the trigger that sent Homura’s journey into motion in the first place - was sitting at her bedside and attending to her.

While Homura blinked with disbelief, Michi handed the time-traveler her red-rimmed glasses with a concerned expression,

“I was wondering why you were wearing glasses more and more often recently. I thought it was merely a fashion choice, Homura-san.”

Homura took the glasses and wore them with a sigh of frustration. The now bespectacled time-traveler then faced her guest and grumbled,

“If I had the time to think about fashion, I would have worn contacts. I’m not a fan of these glasses, after all.”

“But they do fit you. They bring out your eyes.”

“These poor, nearsighted eyes that are useless in a fast-paced battle and throw me off balance in a sprint, you mean?”

“I do not believe that life is all about fighting, Homura-san.”

“Coming from a Puella Magi of the Second World War - and the girl who became Walpurgisnacht, no less - I find that hard to believe.”

Michi’s expression grew somber when she heard her old Witch’s name, but she gathered her resolve and solemnly countered,

“Indeed. I may have lived to see times of great turmoil - not to mention both World Wars - but I do not believe that we exist simply to fight. Cursed as we may be, I like to think that we must try to live and find reasons to live.”

Homura folded her arms as she laid on her back and challenged,

“Give that argument to a Wraith and they will greet you with claws, black beams and flaming spears.”

“Wraiths are a different matter, Homura-san. Death and destruction are their forms of enlightenment just like the beasts that they are. We, on the other hand, can stand taller than them if we wish.”

“What are you trying to say, Michi?”

The Devil’s Exemplar took a moment of thoughtful silence before she firmly explained,

“I intend to question Miki-senpai about her role in this insurrection just like I said, but I also wish to open the doors for negotiation.”

Homura furrowed her brow at Michi’s suggestion and asked,

“Given how much hatred she had for you at the judo match, I think you’re wasting your time.”

Michi shook her head and insisted,

“After dancing with the Goddess Madoka, I have come to understand Miki-senpai’s actions a little better as well. In spite of everything, Miki-senpai is still honor bound to the Goddess Madoka and her loyalty lies with the Silver Garden.”

The naginata-wielder then looked into Homura’s eyes and continued,

“Most importantly, Miki-senpai’s heart also lies with her friends here in Mitakihara. That’s where you and Miki-san are _alike_. Madness may have taken root in her at some point in time, but I believe it is not yet too late. We have a chance to bury the hatchet with her. That is why I wish to speak with her - and I would like your permission to do so, Homura-san. I also wish to tell everyone else the full truth - about my pledge to the Goddess Madoka and my oath to you - the Devil who rules this universe.”

Homura closed her eyes and reminded,

“Did I not say that you must bring that truth with you to the grave?”

Michi, however, was unfazed as she replied,

“If we do not take action now, all of us will be in graves before long - and we may not have a universe to save in the end.”

Homura’s brow furrowed, but she soon conceded,

“Fine. I’ll leave that matter to you, Michi. I only have one condition for you in doing so.”

“What is it, Homura-san?”

“Keep Madoka innocent throughout all of this.”

Michi gave Homura a dutiful nod and promised,

“You have my word, Homura-san.”

* * *

  **Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**The Garden of Discord**

* * *

  **Seventy-fourth Act, First Movement - Proper Provisions**

Evening fell upon the hilltop apartment building overlooking Tokyo Bay in the Fourth District where Sayaka Miki lived. Elise de Lamarliere and Michi Hideyoshi walked together through the apartment lobby and found the elevators. They called for an elevator and waited quietly there in the hall.

The apartment lobby was much quieter than the chaotic lobby of the Mitakihara General Hospital, but the two girls still heard the din of news broadcast on the lobby’s many televisions.

For the past few hours, every news channel in Japan was barely covering the strange occurrences in the Greater Mitakihara Area. There were public service announcements about the martial law imposed from neighboring Tokyo on the entire Kanagawa Prefecture as well as assurances from the Greater Mitakihara municipality about things being ‘business as usual’.

However, the death and destruction that swept the Ninth District was blamed on an earthquake that never happened while the wartime-like damage on the Mitakihara Junior High School was all but ignored. The media in Japan - and all around the world - was in Homura’s pocket after all. The last thing that the ailing Devil wanted was to stoke the fear and worsen the chaos of reality on the ground.

Michi also knew the news spin well. She was one of the people who helped set the guidelines for the news broadcasts shown on every media platform - from television to social media.

‘Keep calm and carry on.’

‘All is calm and bright.’

‘Everything is under control.’

Hearing those news stories and talking points repeated over and over nearly lulled Michi to sleep right there and them. More than that, the sheer number of responsibilities that Michi inherited from Homura was starting to make her head spin. Michi was shoring up her willpower and was trying to appear strong, but her companion Elise didn’t find her performance very convincing.

All it too for Elise was a quick sidelong glance of her roommate and she easily knew that the naginata-wielder was incredibly fatigued. Elise knew that Michi tended to be stubborn in tense situations. It was the same kind of attitude that Michi had whenever she felt that a battle was drawing near.

In more ways than one, Michi’s senses were right.

Elise too, however, was stubborn in her own way.

The French knight dug into her school bag and brought out a drinkable can of tomato soup that she bought from the hospital’s convenience store earlier. She then gently placed the can into Michi’s hands and lectured,

“If you’re preparing for battle, Michi, then I suggest that you take the proper provisions with you. You haven’t eaten anything since you left the hospital earlier.”

Michi took a while to notice what Elise placed in her hands. She then read the label and saw that it was Elise’s favorite brand of tomato soup - the same brand that she had been drinking since they first met in Manchukuo. Remembering that, Michi graciously accepted the simple can and thankfully smiled at Elise,

“I appreciate this. You’re always looking out for me, Elise.”

The French girl then raised up her head with pride and reminded,

“You have the strongest Carissima of Salvae, Terrae Magicae as your Exemplar - you must not expect any less.”

“You don’t know just how fortunate I think I am, Elise. Thank you.”

Elise flashed a small smile for Michi and then gestured to her, urging Michi to drink her soup. Michi obliged and popped open the can for her to drink. As she did, the elevator finally reached the ground floor and the doors opened.

The two girls stepped inside and they rode the elevator up to Sayaka’s floor, standing shoulder to shoulder in warm silence.

* * *

  **Seventy-fourth Act, Second Movement - Cheesecake Diplomacy**

Michi finished her soup by the time they reached Sayaka’s floor. She tossed the can of soup in a wastebasket near the elevators and she promptly followed Elise to the door of the Miki residence.

Elise stood before the apartment’s nameplate as Michi noticed a small camera and speaker unit above it.

The small camera shifted and focused on Michi’s face. Then, they heard Sayaka Miki’s cold voice through the speaker,

“What do you want from me? I’m still recovering from the nine shots to the back of my head from the Devil herself, just so you know. I won’t have enough magic to do anything else either, so just leave me alone.”

Elise took a deep breath and then promptly interjected,

“We aren’t here to watch you like jail guards, Miki-san. We’re here to speak with you earnestly.”

The saber-fighter grumbled and replied again through the speaker,

“What good are words in this situation, Elise? The Incubators are running amok and the entire JSDF is murdering them by the billions. Homura Akemi has been waiting for a reason to liquidate them and now she has it. It won’t be long before that Devil turns her wrath to us. That traitor standing beside you is also the Devil’s Exemplar, Elise!”

That time, Michi clenched her fists and spoke up,

“Be that as it may, I am also the person who stopped Homura-san from dealing the killing blow to you, Miki-senpai. I have also asked Homura-san to let me handle your questioning. Apparently, Warukuchi… or rather, council president Ogasawara wanted to question you - but I’m sure you are aware of her methods.”

“So, you wanted to be the one to torture me instead, Michi?”

“No, Miki-senpai. I have come to speak with you as your equal. I am aware that you and I stand on opposite sides in this world, but our goals are still the same. You also seek a true miracle, don’t you? That must be why you were prepared to wage all out war on Homura-san no matter how unfavorable the odds.”

A moment of tense silence followed Michi’s assumption.

Then, there was a buzz that unlocked the door.

Michi and Elise turned to each other with delighted smiles and they entered Sayaka’s home together. The two of them left their shoes at the foyer and went to Sayaka’s bedroom.

The two of them found Sayaka Miki there on her bed in the dark room. Only her small desk lamp on the nightstand shed some light into the room, illuminating Sayaka’s bandage-covered head poking out from beneath her blanket.

Sayaka’s eyes reflected that faint light until they turned towards her two guests. The saber-fighter, however, didn’t say anything to them as she watched the two with frustration.

Michi took this as her cue to speak,

“Miki-senpai. I am here to propose a parlay with you and with everyone else - even Mami-senpai and Kyouko-senpai. We are all Puella Magi here. I believe that the time is ripe for all of us to come together and bury the hatchet. I will lay down all of my cards on the table, but I ask you to also lay down yours.”

Sayaka furrowed her brow and turned away from Michi as she protested,

“And why the hell should I trust a traitor like you?”

Michi clenched her fists at first, but she loosened them after she took a deep breath. The Hokkaido native then managed to wear a small smile as she returned,

“Because everything that I have done since I have awakened was for the Goddess Madoka’s protection - and I assure you that the Goddess is still alive. She is but a shadow of her former self and she is only half awake in Kaname-senpai’s heart, but she is still watching over us.”

The saber-fighter gritted her teeth and bluntly rejected Michi’s reply,

“You could have made all of that stuff up, Michi!”

Sayaka glared at Michi, but the Hokkaido native didn’t flinch. At that point, Sayaka found herself at a loss.

Elise then came forward and laid a  supportive hand on Michi’s shoulder as she chimed,

“When it comes to the Goddess Madoka, Michi wouldn’t lie. Michi is loyal to a fault, after all. If you have followed her story during the Second World War, you should know that fact about her well. More than that, the Goddess Madoka is the Goddess of Mercy. I believe that the Goddess would prefer to see us all working together rather than against each other.”

Michi nodded and faced Sayaka firmly as she spoke,

“Elise and I were at odds with each other - just like how you and Homura-san are at odds with each other now. We held grudges on each other that brewed for six years and spilled over into a horribly bloody chapter of our lives. I killed Elise and threw my Soul Gem away not long after to delay the inevitable. Then, for more than a century, we stewed in our regrets! It was only in the afterlife that Elise and I managed to make amends.”

The Hokkaido native the took Elise’s hand off of her shoulder and then gently held it with her own two hands as she continued,

“The two of us were mortal enemies one lifetime ago, just like you and Akemi-san are now. There is no need for you to have to go through what Elise and I have gone, Miki-senpai. If you and Akemi-san can find some common ground like Elise and I have, then the world may be all the more better for it!”

That time, Sayaka was the one who couldn’t seem to speak. She turned away from her two guests and wearily retorted,

“Be that as it may, there still are things that I can’t forgive the transfer student for doing… all those atrocities...”

Elise let go of Michi’s gentle grasp and then put her hands on her hips as she suggested,

“That is all the more reason for us to have a discussion.”

With her back still turned to her guests, Sayaka muttered,

“But it’s not just the transfer student… I dunno if I can even face the others? Are they gonna listen to someone who’s gone mad? Are they gonna listen to someone who went ahead and helped the Incubators achieve their goals because she was too stupid to see she was being played?”

Michi then went over to Sayaka’s bedside and assured,

“Take it from someone who became Walpurgisnacht, Miki-senpai. Live for a hundred and forty plus years and you will find that forgiveness comes in many forms. There are those who are simply waiting for you to take the first step towards them. And I think that some of those people are on their way here as well.”

Sayaka turned around in disbelief and asked,

“Some of those people…?”

As Sayaka was still puzzled by Michi’s example, her apartment’s doorbell rang. A formless screen then appeared before Sayaka and displayed the video feed from the front door.

It was Mami, Kyouko and Nagisa!

The little white-haired girl grinned at the camera and greeted,

“Good evening, Sayaka-neesan! We brought raspberry cheesecake!”

Sayaka, still in disbelief, just watched the formless screen in awe. She then took a quick breath and remotely opened the door to let them enter as well.

In a few heartbeats, Mami, Kyouko and Nagisa joined the girls in Sayaka’s dark bedroom. Nagisa cheerfully turned on the rest of the room’s lights while Mami and Kyouko approached Sayaka’s bedside. The golden-haired gunner then showed Sayaka the small box of homemade raspberry cheesecake that she brought and brightly spoke,

“It’s good to see you doing well after that unfortunate incident with Akemi-san. Hideyoshi-san told me about her plan to see you, so Kyouko, Nagisa and I wanted to join in. More than that… Nagisa-chan told us about the past that you shared with me and Sakura-san... ”

Sayaka felt tears forming at the sides of her eyes while Mami recounted the memories that they once lost. Then, Kyouko joined Mami at Sayaka’s side. The spear-fighter was teary-eyed too as she was overcome with emotion as well.

Kyouko gritted her teeth and raspily lectured,

“You went on a fucking rampage because you were pissed off about us forgetting the past? You dumbass!”

A defeated smile then formed on Sayaka’s lips as she ruefully admitted,

“Didn’t I tell you before - I’m an idiot, Kyouko.”

The saber fighter closed her eyes and admitted,

“I got awfully jealous of Mami-san when Homura put the two of you together. I just failed to realize that the two of you already had a history together. You two were friends long before I met either of you. Now, in this world, the two of you are friends again. I should have been happy for you guys - but I condemned you both instead. I was even ready to fight the both of you just out of spite!”

She then turned to Michi and continued with a mellower tone,

“I really am a fool… but if what Michi is saying is true, then maybe it’s not too late for me yet. Is that why you three tagged along?”

Kyouko wiped her tears and nodded,

“That’s right, you dumbass. We’re here to talk some sense into you. So get off your ass and have some cheesecake with us!”

Sayaka saw the tearful Kyouko and, in spite of her own tears, she suddenly had the urge to heartily laugh. Mami and Kyouko tilted their heads and wondered what was going on. Sayaka wiped her tears and bashfully explained herself,

“I shouldn’t have been worried at all, huh? Mami’s been taking good care of Kyouko all this time. Knowing that, I want to let you know this now, Kyouko. I’m happy for you. I really am.”

She then turned to Mami and asked,

“Please keep taking care of Kyouko, Mami-san. She’s much happier now than the way she was back then, so I have to thank you for that too.”

Mami joined her hands together and gave Sayaka a thankful nod. The golden-haired gunner then asked Sayaka,

“If you would like, I can look after you as well, Miki-san. That is my duty as your _senpai_ after all!”

Sayaka smiled at Mami and nodded,

“I can’t say no to that, Mami-san~!”

Mami and Sayaka then shared a laugh while the gunner gently patted Kyouko’s back. Once Sayaka had her share of laughter, she turned to Michi and Elise and said,

“Alright you two. I’ll bite. Let’s have this meeting that you had in mind with everyone. We might still be able to make this work.”

* * *

  **Seventy-Fifth Act - Miracles Living Among Us**

_June 23, 2088 - Wednesday_

Lorelei and Ligaya got up from their beds in their shared hospital room early that Wednesday morning. In just two days and three nights of rest, the two girls recovered from injuries that would have taken many weeks if not months to heal. The doctors and nurses were amazed by their progress, but Lorelei and Ligaya knew the reason behind their speedy recovery. Their two adult neighbors at the opposite end of the room had an idea as well.

The two adults watched their younger neighbors from their beds as they started fixing their beds and gathering their things. The bespectacled teacher then noted,

“To think that we’d see magic again after all these years, huh? At least I’m sure now that those strange experiences from our middle school years weren’t just from my imagination!”

Junko Kaname snickered and gave her dearest friend a sidelong glance,

“And the Puella Magi happened to be your students too, Kazuko. We declined that little creature’s offer, but that didn’t make the magical world go away. It still found its way into our lives one way or another.”

“But now it’s time for us to pass the torch, Junko. The best we can do for them is to cheer them on.”

Lorelei and Ligaya finished packing their things so they sauntered over to the two adults with bright smiles. The German girl came forward and happily spoke,

“ _Guten morgen~!_ We’re being released from the hospital at noontime today, so we’ll be heading back to the Hanasou. However, it was nice to have the both of you as neighbors. Thank you for your company!”

Ligaya then joined Lorelei’s side and added,

“We hope the both of you recover soon!”

Junko smiled at the two girls and thankfully replied,

“Thank you as well. The two of you have some really interesting stories for kids your age - and you kept Madoka at ease when she visited yesterday. Maybe you two can accompany her the next time she comes here!”

Ligaya nodded and assured,

“If Kaname-senpai wants to bring us along, then we’ll be happy to join her!”

At that point, Junko’s smile started to crumble as she stole glances of the two girls’ hands. The senior saleswoman then spoke with grave concern,

“The two of you just regained your magical powers a few days ago, is that right?”

Lorelei and Ligaya nodded, so Junko continued,

“Now, you kids are gonna start fighting those… Wraith... things?”

Lorelei joined her hands behind her back and heaved a sigh,

“That’s the life of a Puella Magi, sadly. Also, our world seems to be in a rather precarious position right now. If there’s something that Ligaya and I can do to help make things right, we’ll do it.”

Junko then glanced at her friend and chuckled,

“These girls are your students alright. They’re just as gung-ho as you were in midle school!”

Saotome laughed uncomfortably at the comment and wondered,

“I’m… not sure if I should take that as a compliment…”

As Kazuko was fretting, the sliding door of the shared room opened and the figures of Audrey and Serafina appeared behind it. The two adutls stepped in through the threshold and saw that the girls had already packed their bags. Audrey then noted with a grin,

“We came here to remind you guys about the noontime release, but it looks like you two are already raring to go!”

Lorelei and Ligaya cheekily chuckled and the Filipina reminded,

“Michi said that she wanted to hold a big meeting at the Hanasou today, after all. So I wanted to take a long hot bath in the dorm before we get down to business!”

Serafina laughed at the Filipina’s eagerness and noted,

“It seems like Ligaya- _tovarisch_ is looking forward to the bath more than anything else!”

The two girls faced Serafina that time and spoke together,

“The Hanasou dorm bath is the stuff of dreams!”

Ligaya broke rank and argued,

“The place is like a hot spring resort!”

Lorelei then folded her arms and added,

“It’s an architectural marvel as well!”

Serafina grinned at the two girls and patted their heads as she suggested,

“Alright then. Let’s go see if we can get you two released earlier~!”

With that, Serafina accompanied Lorelei and Ligaya out of the room to try and get their releases sorted out. That left Audrey alone with the two adults.

The American then showed Junko and Saotome the silver ring that she wore on her left middle finger as she apologized,

“I’m sorry if Serafina and I didn’t tell you about any of this Puella Magi business. We didn’t know that we - or the kids - were Puella Magi until recently. If we knew that we were Puella Magi at the time of the attack, we would have fought to protect you guys with everything we had.”

Junko smiled at her subordinate and reminded,

“You and Serafina protected me well enough - and the two of you saved so many people at Elysian Fashion too. Lorelei and Ligaya, on the other hand, did what they could to help Kazuko over at the school. From what I’ve heard, it was Ligaya’s magic that saved the day.”

Audrey managed to smile back at Junko then at Saotome as she replied,

“Thank you for understanding. Also, there is something else that I thought you both should know. It’s rather hard to explain, but little Madoka has done so much for me and for the kids… and frankly, for everyone else as well. I probably wouldn’t be able to describe the things she’s done for us even if I tried. But I want you to know this.”

She turned to Junko and passionately said,

“Junko - you’ve raised a wonderful daughter. You should be proud as a mother.”

The American then faced Saotome and added,

“Saotome-sensei - you have also guided Madoka brilliantly as her teacher.”

Junko started to tear up as she said,

“Gosh - you’re making your elders cry, Audrey…”

Audrey chuckled and reminded,

“Actually, since Serafina, the kids and I are from the Second World War, we’re the elders here. As a matter of fact, Lorelei’s the oldest one among us! Ligaya’s the youngest, though!”

The American’s WristComm device then started to buzz, so she started to excuse herself.

However, the bespectacled teacher stopped her for a moment and said,

“Burnham-san. I want you to look for my Colt Python revolver and give it to Ligaya. I probably won’t be shooting guns for a while and Derakuruzu-san likes Colts so I figured she’d like to have it. Also - Derakuruzu-san is still my student, no matter how old she is or where she came from. As her teacher, I want her to succeed. If that revolver can help keep her safe in the battles ahead of you guys, then that would be good enough for me.”

Audrey smiled at the teacher and replied,

“I’ll be sure to give that gun to her, then.”

The American then tapped the face of her WristComm device and walked out of the door.

Once Junko and Saotome were alone in the shared hospital room, the senior saleswoman turned to the teacher and grinned,

“For a moment there, you sounded just as cool as you did when we were still in middle school.”

Saotome adjusted her glasses and scoffed,

“If you keep joking about my middle school self, then I’ll forget to treat you to drinks every now and then, Junko.”

“Ahahaha~ fine, fine. You win, Saotome-sensei~!”

* * *

  **Seventy-sixth Act, First Movement - The Hanasou Conference**

Later that afternoon, the common kitchen of the Hanasou dorm was abuzz with frantic clatter. An apron-clad Mami Tomoe dutifully tended to a pot of hot water on the stove while keeping an eye on the oven below where a fresh batch of buttermilk scones were nearly finished. The golden-haired gunner heaved a sigh and wiped the sweat from her brow as she turned her attention to the twenty-two teacups sitting on the counter beside Mami’s favorite box of teabags.

Mami always liked hosting parties and having friends over at her place, but baking for twenty-two people in someone else’s abode was a new experience for her. It was a big meeting, Michi told her, so Mami could pull out all the stops. But there was no way for her to do so alone.

She turned to the other side of the kitchen where Esperanza Salita and Yolanda Ang - the president and vice president of the Broadcasting Club - were preparing sandwiches.

Technically, Esperanza and Yolanda - and all of the members of the Broadcasting Club - were under house arrest there at the Hanasou and Mami was their warden and their inquisitor. However, the two of them insisted that they could help - and Elise vouched for their mettle in making sandwiches. Moreover, Mami wasn’t a harsh warden to begin with, so she would have asked them for help in the first place.

Once the scones, sandwiches and tea were finished, Mami, Esperanza and Yolanda brought them out in trays over to the Hanasou’s living room where the nineteen others were waiting for them.

The other members of the Broadcasting Club were seated together on long sofas at one side of the room while Lorelei and Ligaya joined them. Audrey and Serafina were standing outside behind the sliding glass door to the Hanasou’s tiered gardens while they were both thoughtfully puffing at cigarettes. Kyouko and Nagisa were seated at a table near the entrance and they were both eagerly awaiting the food and drink.

Finally, at the middle of the room, Michi, Elise and Sayaka were seated at their own table. Michi and Elise were quietly discussing something between themselves while Sayaka sat opposite to them with a tired yet defiant look around her.

As soon as the food arrived, Audrey and Serafina put out their cigarettes and rejoined the others in the room. Mami served the girls seated at the center table their tea while Esperanza and Yolanda set down plates of sandwiches and scones.

Michi nibbled on a scone and then took a sip of her tea. Then, she finally convened the meeting that she called.

The naginata-wielder turned to the others gathered there in the _Hanasou_ living room and addressed them.

“I’m sure that all of you are wondering why I called everyone here this afternoon. As you may all know by now, we are entering the third day of the Incubators’ insurrection. The Incubators are on the run, but they are down and not out.”

Michi tapped the face of her WristComm device and a handful of formless screens emerged from it. The screen displayed images of the destruction and chaos in the Ninth District as well as the devastation of the Mitakihara Junior High School. Then, 3D models of the Wraiths appeared along with their respective details as Michi continued,

“The Incubators, under the leadership of an Incubator named ‘Ichibey’, unleashed Wraiths for the two major attacks. Ever since then, Wraiths have been appearing around the Greater Mitakihara Area at irregular intervals and have been getting stronger. The Wraiths can attack at any time of the day at any given place, so we have to be ready to deploy in a heartbeat. This is Ichibey’s way of trying to challenge the balance of the present order, but we will meet those Wraiths in battle no matter where they appear.”

The images of the Wraiths were then replaced with photos of peculiar glass shards that littered the campus of the Mitakihara Junior High School. Michi pointed to the shards and explained,

“More than the Wraiths, Ichibey has been developing their Isolation Field technology as well. The latest model that they made was so strong that it took tremendous strength to destroy it - even from within. We were fortunate that Miki-senpai had such strength with her - in the form of the Witch Oktavia von Seckendorff.”

Michi then turned to the others and grimly spoke,

“The most devious of Ichibey’s plots, however, were his attempts to divide us Puella Magi and to make us fight each other. For the past few months, the Incubators were forced to develop human emotions as a form of punishment for their treachery to Puella Magi throughout human history. Ichibey, however, adapted to those emotions quickly and used them to find ways to suspect each other at a time when we need to be united.”

The formless screens fizzled away as Michi turned off her WristComm device. She then pulled out her kanzashi hairpin and let her long, black hair flow down freely to her shoulders. The Hokkaido native turned to the others and showed them the purple ribbon tied to her hairpin as she revealed,

“I am part of the current order and I have sworn an oath to Homura Akemi - the deity, or the so-called Devil of this universe - to protect that order. The purple ribbon here is a symbol of my oath to her as well as the sign of my station as Homura-san’s Exemplar. I’m sure that all of us, myself included, have our displeasures when it comes to the things that Homura-san has done, but I assure you that I still see the good in Homura-san’s heart.”

Michi then showed the willow ornament attached to the hairpin alongside the  ribbon and explained,

“My true allegiance, however, is to you all - my dear, dear friends. The things that I have done and the things that I will continue to do are not borne out of malice, but out of necessity. If you wish to show disdain towards me for my oath to Homura-san and the things that I have done as her Exemplar, then so be it. But in spite of that, I am appealing to you all for us to work together and bring Ichibey’s insurrection to a close.”

With that, Michi sat down and held her kanzashi pin close to her heart. Elise then stood up and took her turn to speak,

“That being said, we are welcoming old friends of ours - Puella Magi from the Second World War - to join our ranks. Their powers were only just awakened in the heat of the crises from three days ago, but we will be asking them to lend us their strength for the battles ahead.”

She glanced at the members of the Broadcasting Club and added,

“Most of you already know them well, but this is the first time that Mami and Kyouko are getting to know them as Puella Magi.”

The French girl then gestured to their old friends and urged them to speak. Lorelei beamed and volunteered to go first,

“Okay, Tomoe-senpai, Sakura-senpai. I’m Lorelei Sankt, fourteen years old and I came to Mitakihara _aus die Tiergarten in Berlin_ . I speak many languages, _aber mein herz ist Deutsch_! The only difference from my old story is that I was born in 1900, so I’m the oldest one here~! I also once was the Magni Domina - or ‘great lady’ - of Salvae, Terrae Magicae back in the day.”

The German girl then summoned her scepter with a flash of pearly white lights and skillfully twirled it around as she explained,

“I use this scepter to call down _der blitz vom himmel_ \- the lightning from the heavens - and focus it on the enemy. I can also use this power to form shields in the middle of battle and I can give my enemies a good whack with this scepter, so I’m actually a front-liner, _Frau_ Sakura! _Schrecken und furcht_ is the name of my game~! Shock and awe! I’m looking forward to working with you all~!”

Lorelei finished her spiel and stepped back to let Ligaya start hers. The Filipina bashfully joined her hands together as she finally spoke,

“Gosh, I’m not used to talking to so many people at once - but, okay, Ligaya. _Kaya ko to’_! I’m Ligaya de la Cruz from Taysan, Batangas in the Philippines. I’m fourteen years old too, but I was born in 1928. That makes me the youngest one in the bunch.”

She took a quick breath and held the metal bracelet she wore as she continued more confidently,

“I looked up to my _tatay_ … I mean, my father - an airplane mechanic-turned-sergeant of the Philippine Scouts during the Second World War. That’s why my magic summons tanks and warplanes to the battlefield. I used to be able to summon modern tanks like the Abrams and warplanes like the Golden Eagles, but I’m still getting used to magic again so I might have to downgrade a bit till I’m ready~!”

The Filipina then brought out her black umbrella as well as Saotome’s Colt Python happily added,

“I can also use my magic to strengthen things like this umbrella here! That means I’ll have a shield to use in a pinch, hehe. Also - since my tanks and planes do the fighting for me, I have to use conventional weapons to protect myself. I’m more of a rearguard person, so I’ll be hanging around with Tomoe-senpai on the battlefield, probably! That’s all for me!”

On that note, Ligaya rejoined Lorelei and the other members of the Broadcasting Club at the sofas. At that point, everyone turned their attention to the two adults in the room.

Audrey scratched the back of her head and shrugged as she took the next turn,

“I’m Audrey Wilhelmina Burnham, twenty-three years old from Manhattan’s Midtown in New York City - though I’ve lived in San Francisco for a bit and then in Mariveles, Bataan in the Philippines. I was born in 1918, towards the end of the First World War, so I’m an Interwar Period girl. I’m sure you’re all wondering how an adult like me became a Puella Magi, but frankly - i’m not too sure myself. I guess it was because I was still young at heart when I made the contract - or I was desperate enough to believe the Incubator because of my family issues. But I’d rather not talk about those right now.”

The American glanced at the ring that she wore on her left middle finger and explained,

“I use artillery on the battlefield - all kinds of artillery. Anti-tank guns. Anti-aircraft guns. Howitzers. Mortars. You name it! I like to keep the enemy far away and blow them to smithereens with superior firepower, but I kept a handgun and a fire ax with me in case the bastards get too close for comfort. If you need to blow something up from a distance or if you want to bathe something in fire and brimstone, I’m your gal~! That means I’ll be in the rearguard with Mami and Ligaya too.”

She then patted Serafina’s shoulder and passed the spotlight over to her. The Ukrainian confidently beamed at the others as she finally introduced herself,

“Serafina Larivenko - twenty-one years old - at your service _mori tovarischi~_! I’m from Ukraine, or rather the Ukrainian SSR as it once was called, back in 1911. Like Audrey, I contracted with the Incubators later in life than most of you when I faced the Holodomor massacre firsthand. I had to learn how to steal and disappear to survive the man made famine - so my magic became focused on stealth and such.”

She swept her right hand over her left and made her silver ring disappear from sight like a magic trick as she explained,

“I can make myself and a few allies disappear from sight with a magic veil - like a cloak of invisibility, if you will - for a few moments. Rapiers are my weapons, so I like to get up close and attack before the enemy can even sense me. I can hold my own in a swordfight too, though, so I can be a frontliner as well~!”

Mami smiled at the four newcomers and greeted,

“While Akemi-san is recovering, I’ll be leading the Puella Magi of Mitakihara. So, I want to welcome you all to the team on her behalf.”

The golden-haired gunner then watched the four with anticipation as she eagerly urged,

“Also! If the four of you have any special moves, I’d like you to tell me! I’m in charge of making the names for everyone’s special moves here, after all!”

While Mami was saying this, Kyouko, Michi and Elise shook their heads and quietly gestured the newcomers to just stay quiet.

With that, Michi took the lead again and continued,

“Another big reason why I wanted everyone to be here was because I’m aware of the movement that Miki-senpai was starting to challenge Homura-san before. Many of you gathered here are involved with that movement - and I do not blame you if you were disillusioned with the way things were going under Homura-san’s watch. That’s why I wanted Miki-senpai herself to speak freely make things clear between us all.”

The Hokkaido native then gestured to Sayaka, passing the conversation to her. The saber-fighter heaved a sigh in reply and thoughtfully leaned back into her chair as she prepared to speak.

* * *

  **Seventy-sixth Act, Second Movement - Homecoming**

All eyes in the Hanasou’s living room were fixed on Sayaka Miki as the saber fighter prepared herself to speak. She folded her arms and faced Michi as she finally revealed,

“I’ll be frank. I was really pissed off when I found out that Michi here became the transfer student’s - that is Homura’s - right hand girl. To be honest, I still am pissed off. After all, Michi, Elise and the four newcomers here were my subordinates once upon a time. All of us died, went up to paradise and then swore to fight for our Goddess - Madoka Kaname.”

Kyouko scratched her face as her lips twisted with disbelief. The spear-fighter then noted,

“Nagisa-chan already told me and Mami about this ‘Silver Garden’ and ‘Goddess Madoka’ of yours, but it’s still pretty hard to believe, y’know.”

Sayaka, however, remained firm,

“That’s the truth, though, Kyouko. Our paradise was destroyed. Our Goddess was captured and put to sleep. Eight million Puella Magi who were supposed to enjoy the afterlife were forced to die a second death! Then Michi, the person who was left in charge of the heavens and protect those magi instead of me decided to help the girl who committed those crimes!”

The blue-haired girl felt her heart racing and she slammed her fist against the table with frustration, rattling her teacup and her plates of untouched food. Then, after a moment of thought, her clenched hand loosened as she continued,

“That’s why - as soon as I found my bearings in this world - the Incubator named Ichibey approached me and promised me that he would help me seek revenge against Homura. Horrified by the things that Homura did, I agreed to help Ichibey. He helped me reach out to Esperanza and the other girls of the Broadcasting Club in secret. He even helped me develop ways to use Incubator technology to my advantage.”

At that point, Sayaka brought out a handful of her powder blue paper charms and set them on the table. Once she did, her teacup and her plates of food disappeared from sight.

Mami, Kyouko, Michi and the newcomers all gasped at the sight, but Elise and the others simply watched in knowing silence. The teacup and the plates reappeared after a short while once the magic of the paper charms were spent.

Sayaka then turned to the others again and explained,

“I was one of the magi who helped maintain the Holy Barrier of the Silver Garden, along with Lorelei and the Goddess Madoka herself. My recovery magic helped make the Holy Barrier incredibly tough - but not tough enough to keep out the Devil Homura herself. Though, if I were to make a guess, the Incubators used this technology we developed to make their latest models of Isolation Fields even tougher. Hell, they even used that new Isolation Field model to trap me in a goddamn massacre…”

She looked away for a while and took a breath to gather her composure. Her brow furrowed as she remembered the frantic battle in the Mitakihara Junior High School. If Ichibey succeeded there, then most of the people gathered there in the Hanasou’s living room would have been dead.

Even in that state, Sayaka eventually forced herself to carry on,

“Ichibey also helped me gather an alliance of Puella Magi to myself to prepare for our inevitable confrontation with the Devil Homura. The problem was, Homura’s force of loyal magi grew faster than I could rally them to me. That was why I wanted to have a nuclear deterrent. I needed to awaken Witches as allies - just like how Oktavia helps me and how the Witch Charlotte helped Nagisa-chan in battle. However, only the Goddess Madoka was able to bring out Oktavia and Charlotte on her own. I needed help to even stand a chance of succeeding. So… I asked Ichibey for help with that as well.”

Sayaka’s shadow shifted warily as the saber-fighter spoke, but she forced herself to deduce,

“So I’m afraid that Ichibey used that knowledge to make the Wraiths grow stronger. We went from seeing those lanky ‘lesser Wraiths’ to those spear-wielding ‘Shugen Wraiths’. Then - I’m not sure if you guys saw one before - but those bastards have a higher level form now. It’s something that Ichibey called the ‘Satori Wraiths’ and those things are nightmares in the skies…”

She then turned to Michi and implored,

“I’ve made mistakes, Michi-chan. I’ll admit that now. That’s why I wanted to lay it all out before everyone like this - so that we’re all on the same page here. Many of the horrors that we’ll be facing from here on out came to be because of me. So, I’m swallowing my pride and reaching out to you all. That’s my story.”

Michi took a moment to process everything that Sayaka revealed. A grim shadow then formed on the former Caretaker’s eyes as she commented,

“So you were carrying such a heavy burden on your shoulders too, Miki-senpai… I can see why the grudge you held for me and for Homura-san was so strong. That means you and I were in similarly precarious positions.”

Sayaka turned to Michi with surprise, taken aback by her conciliatory reply. The naginata-wielder, however, adamantly continued,

“You and I were compelled to do and accept things that our hearts were not fully with, Miki-senpai. You’ve told me your story - so now, let me tell you mine.”

Michi looked straight into Sayaka’s blue eyes and honestly spoke,

“The universe is dying. The Law of Cycles protected Puella Magi but we didn’t know the cost that the Goddess Madoka had to pay. That cost was the accelerated heat death of the universe. Wraith hunts, as they stood, merely generated a slim fraction of Witch hunts. In terms of energy, the Law of Cycles was grossly inefficient compared to the old cycle of hope and despair. Homura-san revealed this to me, and the deplorable state that she is in right now is a testament to that.”

“T-the transfer student is…?”

Michi nodded and continued,

“When we first came to Mitakihara this March, Homura-san estimated that she had enough magic to keep the universe alive until the end of the year. As soon as she became the deity of this new universe, she gathered as much Grief Cubes to herself to try and stave off that bad ending. She needed a lasting solution - a true miracle of her own - to keep the universe alive. She knew that the Incubators couldn’t be trusted, but she needed them to surrender their powers to her to make that happen.”

The Devil’s Exemplar then carefully recounted the situation that Homura was in to Sayaka and the others. She spoke plainly and held nothing back as everyone in the Hanasou living room carefully listened.

Michi told them about the Incubator’s plans to capture the Goddess Madoka when she came down from the Silver Garden and why Homura brought her own demon to life to fight back. She also talked about the control over society that Homura had - most of which were things that Michi inherited. However, she also admitted that things were still hardly under control.

Michi’s story then returned to the present day as she grimly revealed,

“From what I’ve figured out, Ichibey’s master plan would have meant raiding Homura-san’s stockpiles of Grief Cubes and to bring us Puella Magi to fight each other. The Incubators would have used the ensuing chaos to compel the Goddess Madoka to awaken and capture her before she can fight back - just like what they planned to do in the past.”

She then managed to wear a small smile as she added,

“The Incubators may have successfully raided some of Homura-san’s stockpiles, but we have prevented our civil war. We now have this chance to settle our differences, come together as Puella Magi again and face this crisis together!”

Sayaka watched Michi speaking with awe and tears started forming in her eyes. The naginata-wielder watched Sayaka with concern, but the sophomore then wore a reassuring smile,

“It looks like… your heart’s been with the Silver Garden all this time after all, Michi. The garden - and all those eight million girls - are probably still alive in you. I can see why Madoka chose you now. I’m sorry for doubting you all this time.”

Michi’s smile grew warmer as she gently reminded,

“I am no longer the highest-ranked girl in the Silver Garden, Miki-senpai. There is no more need for a Caretaker. After all, the Goddess Madoka’s true Exemplar has come back to the garden!”

She then extended her hand towards Sayaka and said,

“I look forward to serving you again, Exemplar Sayaka Miki.”

Sayaka, however, stood up and darted towards Michi. Then, she wrapped the former Caretaker in a tight embrace as she cried bitter tears. All the while, the Exemplar profusely apologized to the girl she once saw as her mortal enemy and thanked her.

Everyone in the room watched Michi and Sayaka with delight, relieved by the reconciliation. However, as Sayaka wrapped Michi in her embrace, she whispered into the former Caretaker’s ear,

“Tell me, Michi… what was _your_ covenant… with the Goddess Madoka?”

Michi returned Sayaka’s embrace and revealed,

“I asked the Goddess Madoka to help me bring everyone home.”

A tearful smile formed on Sayaka’s lips as she softly answered,

“I think that you’re on your way to doing just that.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Exemplar Miki.”

“Just… call me ‘Miki-senpai’ like you’ve always done, Michi-chan.”

“A-alright then, Miki-senpai…”

“Now… let’s go find those Incubators and bring those bastards to justice!”

* * *

  **Epilogue**

A few kilometers away from the Hansou Dormitory, in the idyll space of the First Mitakihara District, Madoka Kaname sauntered into Homura Akemi’s apartment.

The pink-haired girl brought a small basket of fruits with her and she wore a warm smile for her bedridden host as she greeted,

“Good afternoon, Homura-chan. I’m not visiting at a bad time, am I?”

Homura got up from where she laid, put on her red-rimmed glasses and smiled back at Madoka as she reassured,

“It’s never a bad time when you’re around, Madoka.”

“Wehihi~ you’re making me blush, Homura-chan. If you can joke around like that, then you’re probably already getting better.”

“Hmm… I’m not too sure about that…”

Madoka shook her head and insisted,

“You look like a weight’s been lifted off of your back, Homura-chan.”

Homura closed her eyes and thought about Michi and Mami and finally admitted,

“In a way, I guess you can say that.”

“I see - that’s good~! Anyways! I was just on my way home from visiting mama and Saotome-sensei at the hospital, so I pay you a visit too~!”

“Thanks for making time for me, Madoka.”

“Don’t worry about it, Homura-chan! School’s been closed since the Sports Festival, so I have a lot of free time now hehe.”

Madoka then raised up her basket and showed her host its contents,

“I brought you some fruits~!”

Homura looked inside and saw a myriad of fruits - apples, bananas, grapes and oranges. However, she noticed a peculiar honeydew melon there as well.

Madoka noticed Homura eyeing the melon, so she happily explained,

“You told me once that you really liked melon once.”

“Did I, now?”

Madoka nodded and reminded,

“You said melons were sweeter than sweet!”

Homura snickered when Madoka brought that up. After all, when Homura talked about melons, she was talking about Madoka. It was the pink-haired girl’s symbol in Charlotte’s ‘cake song’ after all. Listening to Madoka prattle on about honeydew melons as a summertime fruit told Homura that Madoka was still indeed innocent.

Michi kept her part of the bargain as always. As Homura was lost in her thoughts, Madoka set down the fruits and kindly offered,

“Want me to braid your hair for you?”

The bedridden sophomore nodded and let Madoka do her hair. Going back to her braids meant that she really would go one step closer back to her old, sheepish self from before she became a Puella Magi. Deep inside her heart, however, Homura didn’t feel like that was a completely bad thing.

As Madoka carefully braided Homura’s hair, the dark-haired sophomore spoke,

“Madoka. There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now.”

“What is it, Homura-chan?”

“You know back then - around the time we were about to start middle school - I was hospitalized a lot.”

“I remember that. Why are you bringing that up now, though?”

“I had to undergo surgeries for heart disease back then, Madoka. Frankly speaking, I had a rare form of heart cancer. I thought that after all those surgeries, I’d finally be able to get rid of it and lead a normal life - but I’m pretty sure that I’m having a major relapse. I might have to undergo surgery again - and maybe chemotherapy.”

Madoka was shaken by Homura’s confession for a moment. Chemotherapy meant that the hair that Madoka was braiding wouldn’t be there for much longer - but Madoka eventually continued to braid it. The pink-haired girl them hobbled together a small smile as she reassured,

“I’ll be with you every step of the way, Homura-chan. I’ll support you as much as I can, so don’t be afraid to lean on me from time to time, okay?”

Tears formed at the sides of Homura’s eyes as she accepted,

“I’ll be in your care again, Madoka.”

While she was saying this, however, Madoka glanced outside the window and caught a glimpse of the scene outside. An inexplicably thick fog was rolling in. When Madoka pointed out the fog, a look of horror dawned upon Homura.

It was a fog thicker than anything that Homura had ever seen before - thicker than the fog she saw over at the Ninth District or at the Mitakihara Junior High School.

Homura feared that Ichibey was launching an all-out assault.

As Homura was thinking about this, the Clara Doll Warukuchi entered Homura’s apartment in a hurry. Madoka saw the newcomer and called her by her human name,

“Ogasawara-senpai? What are you doing here?”

Before Madoka could say anything else, Homura quickly barked,

“Ogasawara-san. Please accompany Madoka home right away!”

Madoka whipped her head back towards Homura, wondering just what was going on. The Homura who was tranquil just moments ago now looked like a wounded soldier preparing for battle.

In the ensuing silence, Homura gritted her teeth and furiously roared at the student council president,

“What are you waiting for, Ogasawara!? Accompany Madoka home this instant!”

The Clara Doll, however, defiantly hummed with amusement instead and replied in a sing-song voice,

“Eh? But isn’t this the safest place in the entire metropolis? Or should I say the entire universe? No Wraiths are gonna come here. It’s just you, Kaname-san…”

Warukuchi then summoned her black needle behind her back as she grinned with malicious intent,

“And, of course, me.”

**To Be Continued**

 


	23. Where Spider Lilies Bloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The newly-formed 'Mitakihara Decimette' has finally come together after Sayaka's discussion with Michi, but the Decimette is quickly tested by a looming crisis as Wraiths descend from the heavens above.

**Prologue**

Michi and Sayaka quietly sipped their tea as they sat at opposite sides of their table at the Hanasou’s living room. Meanwhile, Mami and Kyouko went around the room as they got to know their new members while chatting over sandwiches and scones.

Sayaka set down her cup of tea and watched the scene unfolding around them. It was a stark contrast to the kinds of scenes that she had grown used to in the past few months. The mere thought of sitting down with the many people she considered her enemies - traitors to the Goddess Madoka’s will - never once crossed her mind. Sipping tea and having snacks like that was an impossibility, let alone was holding the Devil’s Exemplar herself in a warm embrace.

Sitting there in the midst of the others, she started to wonder just what she had been fighting for all that time - or if any of it had been worth anything at all. There were still many things in Sayaka’s heart that she wanted to straighten out with Michi and the others, but this was already a great step in the right direction.

What’s more, the threat of the universe’s crawl to death still lingered and Ichibey’s insurrection still continued. So, Sayaka decided to hold those things in her heart for just a little while longer.

Still, Sayaka watched the lively scene around her with a twinkle of wonder in her powder blue eyes. It reminded her of the old sketch that Madoka made in her pink notebook in what seemed like a lifetime ago - a scene wherein the Goddess and her Archangels welcomed Mami, Kyouko and Homura to the Silver Garden’s gazebo on the verdant meadow.

Michi inherited that notebook for a brief spell, but Sayaka realized that she must have seen that sketch as well. The scene around her was quite different from the scene that Madoka had envisioned, but Sayaka was certain that that was what Michi was hoping to recreate.

Even in the deepest darkness, Michi sought light. That fanciful dream was an impossibility, but Michi still chased it. The Goddess Madoka wished to sacrifice herself to save the universe, while the Devil Homura was prepared to discard the universe for Madoka - but Michi sought to reconcile them no matter how improbable. All the while, Michi believed in them both.

Sayaka beat Michi up in front of everyone else and threatened to annihilate her in a magical war, but the naginata-wielder simply smiled and offered her tea. Was that the sort of strength that someone who once became a Dreadnaught Witch held?

If it was, then Sayaka thought it was admirable.

As Michi and Sayaka were relishing in their conciliatory silence, Mami and Kyouko finished making their rounds and joined the two at the table. The golden-haired girl watched the two of them with a warm smile as she reported,

“There’s going to be ten magi in our team now - eleven if we include Akemi-san. We’re not the ‘Mitakihara Quintet’ anymore - more of the ‘Mitakihara Decimette’. It sounds awfully close to ‘decimate’ that it worries me, though.”

Michi set down her cup of tea and joked,

“Then, we shall focus on decimating our enemies together. Between the ten of us, we wield magic that may just be able to carve a path to the future.”

Mami beamed at the naginata-wielder and praised,

“Well said, Hideyoshi-san. But in any case, Akemi-san is still out of commission, so I will be in charge of the Decimette on her behalf. Sakura-san will be my right hand as well.”

Kyouko grinned and remarked,

“I hope we can work like we did before, Michi! And I look forward to fighting alongside you again, Sayaka. I still don’t really get this whole Goddess and Devil thing you guys are going on about - and I don’t know the sorts of lives you all lived in the past and whatnot - but we’re all Puella Magi here. We’re all on the same boat too, so that’s all that matters, yeah?”

Sayaka folded her arms and heaved a sigh,

“Frustrating as it is, I guess ‘Puella Magi’ describes us just fine.”

Mami nodded in agreement and laid her hands on the table as she started,

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I wanted to talk about our Wraith-hunting patrols, and…”

As Mami was speaking, however, Michi noticed ripples forming on the tea in her teacup. The warm light of the late afternoon sun then suddenly shifted as gigantic shadows cast darkness upon the dormitory.

Mami stopped herself mid sentence while Michi got up from her seat. She marched towards the door to the Hanasou’s tiered garden and found the culprits - twelve Satori Wraiths descending from the heavens above. They moved in formation, looming towards the Hanasou Dormitory as they blotted out the sun.

All the while, a thick veil of fog formed beneath them, shrouding a massive army of Shugen Wraiths and lessers marching through the already devastated Eighth District forests. Michi watched their distant opponents drawing closer as she spoke to her allies behind her,

“There’s no need to patrol for Wraiths anymore, Tomoe-senpai. They’re coming to us.”  


* * *

**Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum: Those Fallen**

**Where Spider Lilies Bloom**

* * *

**Seventy-Seventh Act - The Eve of Destruction**

Mami Tomoe and the others gathered in the living room joined Michi in the tiered garden of the Hanasou as they watched the formation of Wraiths headed for them.

Sayaka clenched her fists as she bitterly lamented,

“Satori Wraiths right off the bat!?”

Michi turned towards the saber-fighter and demanded,

“What do you mean, ‘right off the bat’, Miki-senpai?”

The blue-haired girl grumbled as she tried to put her thoughts to words. Once she managed to compose herself, Sayaka finally explained,

“When I was helping the Incubators, I saw that Wraiths had a natural order of progression. They all start as lesser Wraiths when they first manifest - just like they always have. They’ll draw energy from emotions of people - and even life force if their presence is strong enough - by ‘meditating’. Once they finish ‘meditating’, they’ll ascend from lessers to Shugens - then from Shugens to Satoris. You get the point.”

She faced the others and grimly guessed,

“But ascending from a lesser to a Satori shouldn’t happen instantly like this. They must have been meditating somewhere else these past three days…”

Mami turned to Sayaka as well and refuted,

“If they manifested here in Mitakihara, we would have found them and hunted them down.”

Michi nodded and added,

“The same goes for the rest of the world. Homura-san and I would have known about it.”

Their counters, however, only made Sayaka’s worries worse. The saber fighter looked up to the sky again and thought out loud,

“That means that they probably manifested somewhere that’s beyond our reach - somewhere that Ichibey would have had free reign to do whatever the hell he wanted. The ruins of the Silver Garden.”

Michi, Nagisa and the others who came from that once-hallowed plane felt their chests tighten from Sayaka’s words. There were no people living in that ash-swept, god-forsaken place, but the Wraiths were able to meditate nonetheless.

That meant that the army amassing before them fed off of the suffering and pain of the eight million girls that they all failed to save. Twelve Satori Wraiths were descending from the heavens above, but they felt that many more would soon follow.

While everyone in the tiered garden looked up to the sky in silence, Elise came forward and firmly spoke,

“Those girls have already died twice - yet this Ichibey wants to use them a third time. We have to prepare for battle and defeat these monsters here and now. That is the only way that their souls can rest in peace now.”

She then laid a hand on Mami’s shoulder and urged,

“You are the Decimette’s chief strategist, aren’t you? You are also the one in charge of us as well. Lead us to battle, Mami.”

Mami fell silent as she finally felt the weight of the responsibility on her shoulder. However, she didn’t shy away and faced the others with great determination,

“Everyone, follow me! We’re preparing for battle!”

* * *

**Seventy-Eighth Act - The Chessboard Shrinks**

Mami Tomoe marched back into the Hanasou’s living room and shepherded the others back inside as well. Once she had everyone’s attention, she tapped the face of her WristComm device. A myriad of formless screens appears, followed by a projection of an aerial map of the Eighth District that filled the surface of the table at the middle of the room.

The golden-haired gunner tapped the aerial map and a grey line appeared and crawled towards the point of the map where the Hanasou was. Mami laid her hands on the table and explained,

“The Wraiths are coming down to the Hanasou from the North-West, by way of the First District. The Eighth District is a hilly, forested area without many buildings or residences so we’re drawing the Wraiths away from the more populated areas. However, we’ll need to prepare for this invasion properly if we’re gonna stand a chance.”

Mami traced lines dotted lines onto the map with her pointer finger and continued,

“Akemi-san always prioritized the defense of the Eighth District. Perhaps it was because she knew that many potential magi were living in the Hanasou, but the Mitakihara Junior High School was here too. For that reason, she asked me to draft up battle plans for defensive action. The two of us are history buffs, so we took points from Bataan in 42’ to the Pusan Perimeter in 50’. As such, I prepared defensive plans for ground battles - but those so-called ‘Satori Wraiths’ are going to be problem.”

Sayaka then approached the table and promptly reminded,

“We can fight an air war too, Mami. Ligaya’s got her planes, Audrey’s got her artillery and Lorelei has her lightning. I’ve seen these three fight and - I tell you - they can fight at any height.”

Audrey, Ligaya and Lorelei all nodded, but Ligaya sheepishly approached the table as well and admitted,

“I don’t think that I’ll be able to field FA-50’s like I used to in the Silver Garden, ate Sayaka. To be on the safe side, I think I’ll be starting with P-51 Mustangs.”

The American joined Ligaya and folded her arms,

“I’m in the same boat - I’ll have to stick to the M101’s I’ve used since 45’. We have to stick with what we know, after all. We don’t have the Goddess Madoka’s blessing anymore either,”

Sayaka put her arms on her hips as she challenged,

“But that’s not gonna stop you two from trying though, right?”

The American and the Filipina both grinned at Sayaka and nodded confidently. While they were doing so, however, their WristComm devices suddenly beeped.

The two of them tapped their devices and they found blueprints and design details of various tanks, planes and artillery from the Cold War that were sent from Mami’s device. They turned to the gunner who smiled at them and revealed,

“I happen to be quite fond of weapon systems like these as well, you see. Hideyoshi-san told me that the two of you can summon new weapons once you’ve gotten acquainted to them - so perhaps those blueprints can help!”

Audrey and Ligaya, however, were already too engrossed in the files that Mami sent them. It was at that time that Lorelei went over to Mami and explained,

“It’s gonna be really hard to talk to them when they’re that excited about new weapons like that, Tomoe-senpai. Though - this is the first time they’ll be using magic again after a really long while, so I think they want to make sure they have it right.”

“Is that so, Sankt-san?”

“Of course~! I was their superior once upon a time, after all, so I know they’ll perform admirably. I’ll also support them in the air battle with my lightning to slow down those Wraiths! That way, the rest of you can focus on the fighting on the ground!”

Mami nodded and thankfully accepted,

“We’ll be counting on the three of you for our air defense, then. Everyone else will be forming moving battle lines in an elastic defense action.”

The gunner pointed to the three lines she traced on the map earlier and introduced,

“Those are our fallback positions. We will engage the Wraiths in close combat while we rig those positions with as many explosives as we can place. Once we’ve set up the bombs, we’ll slowly retreat to the next position then detonate the bombs remotely when the Wraiths try to chase us. The Wraiths will pay dearly for every inch of land they take.”

Elise folded her arms as she watched the battle plan playing out on the map. The French girl then remarked,

“So, we draw them into the forest and burn it. That way, the ten of us can stand tall those beasts.”

“Precisely, De Lamarliere-san. Then, we will make our final stand here at the Hanasou Dorm and hope we’ve weakened up the Wraiths enough for us to make a counterattack.”

“But who will lay the bombs while we’re busy fighting?”

Mami rubbed her chin when she considered Elise’s question. It was at that point that Esperanza and her team came forward to volunteer. Esperanza went over to Mami and offered,

“Allow us to lay the bombs for you. Give us back our guns and we can help provide covery fire from the fallback positions and fortify the Hanasou too.”

Mami was surprised by the surge of volunteers, so she turned to Michi for a second opinion. The naginata-wielder then faced Esperanza’s team and welcomed them,

“We would be happy to have you fight alongside us again, Esperanza.”

Mami then went over to Michi and whispered,

“Is that alright? Giving even Salita-san and her girls their guns again, that is?”

“Having twelve more guns and bomb-layers on our side will be a boon to us. Plus, Esperanza will not betray us. They have seen their homes destroyed twice already in their lifetimes - the Edificio Gumamela and now, our Silver Garden. I have reason to believe that we are on the same side.”

Mami heaved a sigh and conceded,

“Fair enough, Hideyoshi-san. You can take them to the storage under the stairs. That’s where I kept their guns and the explosives. Once you’re done re-arming, we’ll begin this operation.”

* * *

  **Seventy-ninth Act - Poised To Strike Once More**

The six magi from the Second World War accompanied Esperanza’s team to the door of the storage underneath the Hanasou’s stairs. Michi stood at the threshold and the door started unlocking on its own, as if the door itself recognized her. She then turned the knob and allowed the others into the small room.

Wooden crates were placed around the storeroom, filled to the brim with various kinds of ammunition, bricks of C4 plastic explosives, spools of wire and remote detonators. Seeing all those explosives made nearly everyone there uneasy, but Michi calmly explained,

“Homura-san didn’t trust us at the beginning when we first came to Mitakihara. These bombs were part of her contingency plan in case we started an uprising. Thankfully, I managed to talk Homura-san out of her paranoia when I stood at her side. Now, we’ll have to use these bombs that were meant to kill us for our defense.”

Esperanza picked up a brick of C4 from the stack and a bead of sweat formed on her brow. She couldn’t believe that they were sleeping, eating and laughing all that time while sitting on a mountain of plastic explosives. Was Homura Akemi planning to blow them up while they slept?

She shook her head and continued following Michi though the storage. Before long, they came across wooden racks where the Broadcasting Club’s assault rifles and machine guns sat. Michi gestured to Esperanza’s team and let them take their weapons.

As the Broadcasting Club girls picked up their guns, Michi suddenly gave her earnest praise,

“You girls have been taking great care of your weapons all this time.”

Esperanza held her M16A1 rifle while she had her back turned to Michi as she replied,

“The Magi of the Interior must also take care of the weapons provided to them, Hideyoshi-san. We also can’t fight properly if our weapons are in bad shape. They might jam on us in a crucial battle! You were once in charge of us in the Silver Garden before, so how could you have forgotten already?”

Michi shook her head and reassured,

“I haven’t forgotten, Esperanza. What I meant to say is that when someone takes possession of a weapon - whether it be a sword or a firearm - the spirit of the wielder reflects on the weapon. Not only have you maintained the weapons themselves properly, but the martial spirit in your hearts is clear to see in your guns.”

Esperanza was surprised by Michi’s words, so she turned around with a puzzled expression. The former Caretaker of the Silver Garden, however, smiled at Esperanza and brought out a peculiar Webley revolver - the one that Esperanza ‘inherited’ from the late Anne-Marie Doucette. Michi gently took Esperanza’s free hand and placed the revolver there as she noted,

“You have grown tremendously in these trying times, Esperanza. Anne-Marie would have been proud of how far you’ve come. Surely, she is smiling at you from wherever she is now.”

Esperanza took the gun and she was suddenly overcome with tears. She then shook her head and corrected Michi,

“Ate Anne-Marie is smiling because we’re all on the same side again.”

* * *

  **Eightieth Act - The Second Battle of the Hanasou**

Once everyone in the storage room was sorted out, they returned to the Hanasou’s tiered garden to face their approaching foes. Esperanza’s team held their M16A1 rifles and M60 machine guns firmly in hand while their blue school bags were filled to bursting with bricks of C4 explosives, wires and detonators. The ten magi, on the other hand, held out their Soul Gems together.

Gusts of wind blew through the tiered garden and the earth rumbled beneath their feet, but the magi were unfazed. Mami stole sidelong glances of her friends around her and confidently addressed,

“Our enemies are knocking at the gates and there are only a few of us standing here to meet them. Stick to our plan and we will make even these monsters understand what it means to fear! Get ready!”

The others gathered their in the garden acknowledged Mami’s speech and prepared for battle. Esperanza’s team cocked their guns while the magi of the Mitakihara Decimette transformed into their magical attires.

A myriad of flashes of colorful lights illuminated the tiered garden as a magical gust blew from the ten gems. The light fizzled away before long and the ten Puella Magi stood shoulder to shoulder before the advancing Wraiths. Mami then stepped forward and cried,

“Commence the operation!”

At Mami’s command, Mami and her vanguard of magi charged into the Eighth District forests towards their fallback positions to face the Wraiths head-on. Audrey, Ligaya and Lorelei, on the other hand, stayed together at the garden and kept their eyes on the twelve Satori Wraiths approaching from the skies.

Lorelei Sankt held her scepter firmly with both hands and muttered to herself as she gathered her magical powers. Slowly but surely clouds started to form above the Satori Wraiths and grew thicker and heavier with every passing moment.

Audrey, on the other hand, pulled off her golden neckerchief and started waving it around - summoning a battery of twelve 105mm M101 howitzers there on the garden with flashes of amber light. The twelve guns followed the wordless commands of the American’s neckerchief and trained themselves on the foremost Satori Wraith in the formation.

Ligaya, however, took a deep breath and patted her cheeks as she tried to shore up her courage. Once she composed herself, she laid her hand on the metal bracelet that she wore and the it shifted around. Thirty-six gears built into the bracelet came back to life and whirred vigorously as the Filipina surrounded herself with olive green magic.

After a few moments, Ligaya barked out her command,

“ _Lipad!_ ”

Thirty-six pilot-less P-51D Mustangs appeared above the Hanasou already midflight and traced fleeting green lines through the darkening skies. The fighter planes picked up altitude as they approached the Satori Wraiths while their multiple Browning machine guns loaded themselves.

Lorelei then turned to her two companions and said,

“I’m ready when you two are!”

Audrey turned to the little German girl and nodded,

“Give em’ hell, Lorelei!”

“Hehehe, with pleasure!”

The lightning-caster smirked and then spread her arms out wide as she called down the thunder. The storm clouds that had been brewing above the Satori Wraiths crackled with electricity before shooting bolts of lightning at the foremost Satori Wraith.

Once. Twice. Thrice.

Lorelei’s powerful lightning magic struck the Satori Wraith directly, but the massive creature barely slowed down.

Audrey clicked her tongue. She was hoping to strike down an immobile target - especially since she wasn’t used to anti-aircraft battle - but she followed through with her own barrage of 105mm shells.

The twelve shells sailed ahead of Ligaya’s Mustangs and approached the Satori Wraith when white cubes started ‘ripening’ on the flying Wraiths’ spinal vines.

The cubes detached and moved to shield the Satori Wraith from the howitzer shells. Only a few of the shells found their mark on the Satori Wraith itself and dealt meager damage to the massive creature as well.

By the time that Ligaya’s Mustangs closed the distance and fired their Browning guns, the Satori Wraith shrugged off most of the shots. The cubes ripened from the twelve Satoris then flew around to strike down the Mustangs like flies, forcing them into defensive maneuvers right after their first salvo.

All the while, the Satori Wraiths continued sailing ever closer towards the Hanasou practically unopposed.

* * *

  **Eighty-first Act - Run Through The Jungle**

Michi caught a glimpse of the unfavorable engagement in the skies as she and the others reached the first fallback position. Esperanza and her team quickly got to work setting up the C4 explosives in a long daisy chain while the vanguard of Puella Magi advanced further towards their foes.

The fog had been thick in the forest, but it only got worse as the vanguard marched deeper in. It was only when they were just hundreds of meters away from their foes when Michi and the others finally made out the Wraiths’ formation on the ground.

Shugen Wraiths, now subordinates of the Satori Wraiths above them, fearlessly manned the frontlines in organized rows spanning three dozen Wraiths each. They brandished their flaming spears and floated just over the treeline, forming a wall of unearthly flame and unholy steel.

Countless more lesser Wraiths marched behind the floating lines of Shugen Wraiths, priming the black beams of their pointer fingers to barrage the Puella Magi who had come to greet them. They plowed down the mulberry and cherry trees alike in their wake, leaving a barren waste of felled wood behind them.

There were so many lesser Wraiths in that thick fog that none of the magi could tell how many there truly were. However, they didn’t have the time to count as barrages of black beams soon flew their way.

The vanguard took cover behind the trees while Esperanza and her girls laid flat on the ground as the barrage of beams tore up the forest. When the barrage thinned out, Mami cried out,

“Close the distance now! We need to buy time for our bomb-layers! Nagisa-chan and I will provide cover!”

The little trumpeter nodded as she and Mami went out of cover to fire back at the Wraiths. Nagisa blew on her black trumpet and cast multitudes of her magical soap bubbles to diffuse the black beams while Mami summoned hundreds of her flintlock muskets to shoot at the lesser Wraiths.

Under that cover, Kyouko led Michi, Elise, Serafina and Sayaka through the Wraith-made clearing in the forest and then leapt skywards to challenge the Shugen Wraiths hovering low.

As soon as the battle was joined, the melee fighters of the vanguard fought fiercely and managed to push the Wraiths back a few paces. The five magi systematically assaulted the Shugen Wraiths one at a time, not giving them a chance to properly defend themselves.

It was a whirlwind offense that took the Wraiths by surprise at first and handsful of Shugen Wraiths fell victim to the organized flurries of cold steel. However, for every Shugen Wraith that the girls felled, two more came to take their place.

No matter how valiantly the vanguard fought, it quickly became clear that their efforts simply weren’t enough. Just like the Mustangs in the sky, the melee-fighters too were forced back to defensive actions and they lost the few paces of ground that they gained.

Mami watched the assault of Kyouko’s team petering out from behind the sights of her muskets and she clicked her tongue with frustration. She and Nagisa were providing their friends as much support as they could possibly give, but they were being overwhelmed in just a few minutes of fighting.

As she was lamenting their poor progress, she suddenly heard the cracks of M16A1 rifles and M60 machine guns coming from the fallback position behind them. Mami turned to the position and she saw Esperanza’s team joining the battle.

The ten riflewomen and two machine-gunners laid down suppressing fire and lightened the load off of Kyouko’s beleaguered team. It was just like Michi said, Mami thought. They were going to need all the help they could get if they were going to come out of that battle alive.

While Mami took cover, she magically reloaded her muskets and called out to Esperanza,

“Are you done laying the bombs, Salita-san?”

Esperanza nodded showed Mami the detonator that she held in her hands. Mami nodded back and commanded the bomb-layers,

“Go get the second fallback position ready! We’re retreating soon!”

The Filipina captain was surprised by the order and noted,

“This soon?”

“We can’t hold this position any longer, Salita-san. So get moving!”

With that, Esperanza raised up her hand her entire team stopped shooting all at once. They then hurried back to rig the second fallback position with bombs.

Mami eyed the line of freshly-dug earth where the daisy-chained C4 bricks were buried and heaved a sigh. It was time for them to get moving, so she called out to Kyouko,

“We’re falling back!”

Kyouko’s team was in the middle of isolating another Shugen Wraith when they heard Mami’s order. The five magi disengaged, but not before Sayaka hurled her saber straight through the wounded Wraith’s head, killing it.

As soon as the vanguard retreated, the frontline of the Wraiths frantically chased after them. Shugen and lesser Wraiths alike marched into Nagisa’s bubble mines and hails of Mami’s musket shots as they swarmed the retreating magi.

The seven magi fell behind the first fallback position - a stone’s throw away from the line of buried C4 explosives. At that point, the vanguard tried to hold their ground once more.

Then, once the Wraiths had overrun their old position, Mami raised one of her muskets up above her and fired a shot into the air. That was Mami’s signal to the bomb-layers behind her.

Esperanza heard the crack of the muske so she promptly brought out the first detonator and pulled the trigger. As soon as she did, powerful pillars of flame and shrapnel tore through the thick formation of Wraiths and the earth trembled beneath the girls’ feet.

The chain of explosions at the first fallback position reflected in Mami’s golden eyes as the blasts illuminated the darkening, early evening scene in the forest. Tongues of flame incinerated trees and Wraiths alike while the magi all took cover.

Hundreds of Wraiths must have died in that blast, Mami thought, as she tried to assess the damage that they had dealt. However, fresh lines of new Wraiths crossed through the pillars of flame to replaced their fallen brethren.

Kyouko, Michi, Elise, Serafina and Sayaka watched the Wraiths advancing through the flame as well. Their faces were covered in dust and soot from the heavy fighting, but the horror was clearly etched on their expressions. All of them were winded from the fighting, but the Wraiths were tireless beasts who lived for nothing but battle.

Faced with such unfavorable odds, Mami realized she had no choice but to call a retreat yet again. So, the vanguard repeated the process a second time. Kyouko valiantly led her team in battle to draw the Wraiths into the second trap while Mami and Nagisa unleashed all the shots and bubbles they could master. Then, yet another full column of Wraiths were blown to smithereens - but the Wraiths kept on coming.

* * *

  **Eighty-second Act - Riders on the Storm**

Esperanza and her team only just finished laying the last of their bricks of C4 explosives at the third and last fallback position when they pulled back yet again to fortify the Hanasou dormitory - their final point of defense.

Mami and her vanguard crossed that final fallback position as well as they prepared to draw their foes into one last trap. After that, they were going to have to fight the Wraiths tooth and nail in a battle that she would not have liked to fight so close to home.

As doubtful thoughts brewed in Mami’s mind, she finally saw an encouraging sight in the heavens above. After dozens of lightning strikes and artillery barrages, the thirty six Mustangs finally got back to attacking rhythm and peppered the foremost Satori Wraith with hot lead.

The Satori Wraith that Audrey, Ligaya and Lorelei had been focusing on just burst into black and white pixels when Mami heard yet another curious noise - the sound of jet engines. The golden-haired gunner only saw glimpses of the new airframes zipping through the night sky, but she recognized them immediately,

“F-86D Sabres!”

Flashes of olive green light illuminated the night sky as the P-51 Mustangs transformed into the F-86D jet fighters midair. The new jets swarmed the Satori Wraiths at breakneck speed while unleashing a hail of bullets from the same Browning guns that the Mustangs had. However, the Sabres also brought racks of unguided rockets to the fore to barrage the Satori Wraiths at close range.

Then, the steady rumble of M101 howitzer shots from the Hanasou were replaced by louder cannon fire as Mami spotted heavier shells flying past the Sabres. Powerful blasts lit up the sky along with the Sabre’s rocket barrages as Mami deduced,

“Burnham-san managed to use the 155mm ‘Long Tom’ guns too, huh?”

Those upgrades in the thick of battle finally stunned the once unhindered advance of the Satori Wraiths in the sky. Likewise, the relentless offensive of the Wraiths on the ground grew more cautious as well.

The tide was finally turning in the Mitakihara Decimette’s favor - and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The magi of the vanguard were taking what little time they could to cleanse their gems and heal the many injuries they took in the heat of battle.

Michi and the others were looking up to the sky as well when they heard another noise coming from behind them. A column of four M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks in Philippine Army livery advanced from the Hanasou towards the final fallback position.

The commander’s hatch of the foremost tank, one labeled ‘ _Diwata_ ’ in some obscure, 1970’s italicized script font, popped open. Ligaya then sprung up from the hatch wearing an unstrapped, tilted olive green-painted helmet that was one size too big for her to wear.

The Filipina tanker then waved to her friends and adjusted her unwieldy helmet as she apologized,

“ _Diyuskopo_ \- those Satori Wraiths can take a beating, but I think we’ve flipped the tables on them~!”

Mami smiled at Ligaya and welcomed her,

“This is a sight for sore eyes, De La Cruz-san. You’re just in time to see the last round of fireworks.”

As Mami was talking, the bombs in the final fallback position went off and incinerated another column of Wraiths. That time, however, there were no reinforcements that pushed through the flame.

The Wraiths were, for once, pulling back!

The golden-haired gunner wiped the sweat off of her brow and dusted off her feathered beret as she declared,

“It’s finally time for a counterattack! Miki-san. Nagisa-chan. If you would do the honors.”

The saber-fighter and the trumpeter came forward and as Mami called them. Sayaka put a hand on her hip as she gloated,

“My, my - turning to someone who was supposed to be your opponent to be the trump card in a crucial battle is something else, Mami-san.”

Nagisa, however, confidently joined her hands behind her back as she held her trumpet and countered,

“Well, Mami-neesan knowns that I could keep you under wraps if you turned against us, Sayaka-neesan. I’ve got a stronger trump card than yours, after all~!”

Mami heaved a sigh and laid hands on both of their shoulders as she reassured,

“The both of you were crucial to my plan - so just get going, okay? I’ll make some more raspberry cheesecake when we wrap things up here - but first, we have to win this battle!”

Sayaka snickered but she conceded to Mami’s offer. Nagisa, on the other hand, eagerly clenched her fists and cried out,

“Then let’s get this party started! Charlotte~!”

The little girl’s shadow then shifted and coalesced into the shape of Charlotte, the Sweets Witch while Sayaka’s shadow brought forth Oktavia, the Mermaid Witch. The two Witches lorded over the war-ravaged Eighth District forests and were illuminated by the columns of flame that still burned through it.

Sayaka then turned to Mami and urged,

“Give the order, Mami-san.”

The golden-haired gunner obliged and called,

“Crush them before they regroup!”

* * *

  **Epilogue**

Ligaya’s short column of M41 Walker Bulldog tanks advanced through the charred Eighth District forest, accompanying the vanguard of magi, Esperanza’s platoon of gunners and the two Witches. Together, they trampled down the retreating lesser and Shugen Wraiths on the ground.

In the sky, the Satori Wraiths were being pummelled by barrages from Audrey’s ‘Long Tom’ guns, Ligaya’s Sabre jets and Lorelei’s consistent bolts of lightning. Three more Satori Wraiths fell to the combined effort before they too started to retreat like their underlings on the ground.

The Wraiths were finally breaking their attack and were in full retreat. The Decimette and their allies, however had only just brought their full force to bear.

Victory was near, Mami thought - but she still felt the need to be cautious.

If Sayaka’s account was anything to go by, then that Wraith attack was not like any other that they had seen before.

True enough, Mami started to feel that things were a little bit off.

Mami noticed that the Wraiths they encountered in the forest seemed to have turned docile. More than that, there seemed to be an odd chill in the breeze that was out of place in the Japanese summertime.

That chill then suddenly got worse as a vortex of frigid swept through the entire forest. The cold made Mami and the rest of the vanguard trembled and instinctively took shelter behind the Bulldog tanks while even the formidable Charlotte and Oktavia struggled to shield themselves.

As they did, the few trees that weren’t felled or burned in the gruesome fighting shriveled up in an instant and died in the frost.

The F-86 Sabres that were chasing the Satori Wraiths all started to malfunction. The planes then started coming apart and turned into fireballs streaking through the starless sky.

After a short while, the cold snap petered out and Ligaya popped her head out of her tank’s cupola again. She noticed that the metal helmet that she had been wearing had suddenly turned rusty while her breath was fogging up too. The Filipina then glanced at the front of her tank and saw that it was completely rusted and frosted over too.

What the hell was going on!?

Sayaka broke out of her cover and marched towards the cupola of Ligaya’s tank and demanded,

“Ligaya - do you have binoculars?”

The Filipina sheepishly nodded and handed the saber fighter her pair. Sayaka looked towards the source of the cold snap and clicked her tongue.

Michi joined Sayaka at the front of the tank and asked her what she was looking at.

The saber fighter passed the binoculars to Michi and grimly replied,

“See for yourself.”

Michi took the binoculars and searched for what Sayaka saw. Then, she found it.

There were twelve more Satori Wraiths descending down to the earth, followed by another kind of Wraith that Michi had never seen before. Unlike the Satori Wraith which was centered around a male human torso, this new creature had nothing that resembled a human being at all. It was a completely geometric monster surrounded by the cubes that ripened off of the Satori Wraiths’ spines.

Sayaka watched the distant figures as well and spoke,

“I didn’t think that Ichibey would be able to develop another type of Wraith in such a short time. That bastard really must have drawn energy from the Silver Garden. That’s the only explanation. It’s a Wraith that’s achieved nearly absolute enlightenment - ‘Moksha’.”

Michi furrowed her brow at the name of the strange new creature, but she also noticed a much smaller figure sitting on top of that ‘Moksha’ Wraith’s geometric shoulder, wearing the uniform of the Mitakihara Junior High School.

It was the Clara Doll Warukuchi!

Even from that distance, the Clara Doll felt that Michi was watching her so she flashed a wicked smile. Warukuchi’s eyes also seemed to glow with a faint, pink sheen as a staircase of ice formed out of thin air beneath her feet.

Warukuchi hopped off of the ‘Moksha’ Wraith’s shoulder and walked down the staircase of ice down to the charred yet frosted earth where the forest once was. As soon as Warukuchi’s shoes hit the frosted ground, spider lilies started to blossom around her in the ice.

**To Be Continued**


	24. The Girl Who Sold The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mitakihara Decimette and the remnants of the Magi of the Interior face the traitor Warukuchi.

**Prologue**

The sun had just set over the Greater Mitakihara Area when Tomohisa Kaname started the engine of his family’s subcompact. The little Tatsuya was seated in the passenger’s seat beside him and muttered,

“Madoka-neesan not home yet?”

The Kaname patriarch’s heart was filled with worry, but he forced himself to smile to Tatsuya and reply,

“That’s why we’re going to look for her, Tatsuya-kun.”

The toddler nodded and then started to hum the tune that he had heard often being played around the city - Dvorak’s 9th Symphony. Tomohisa, on the other hand, backed the subcompact out of their driveway and then drove down the quiet, suburban Seventh District streets.

As Tomohisa drove, the evening news came on the radio. It was the standard news cycle as always - another petty crime in neighboring Tokyo, coverage on a long-running political scandal investigation and celebrity news. Once again - nothing substantial.

For someone whose wife had whose family friend had been hospitalized for three days, the normal picture painted by the news only made him more worried. Then, came the usual round of token public service announcements about the Kanagawa Prefecture martial law. Tomohisa always believed that when the government told people to calm down like that, then something sinister was afoot.

Earlier that day, Madoka visited her mother Junko and teacher Kazuko at the hospital. The last time that Tomohisa heard from his daughter, she was asking for permission to see her friend Homura at the First District - an apartment on the way home.

Tomohisa was worried that his daughter had been caught up in that hidden chaos - but he still held out a hope that she was fine.

The subcompact reached a ground-level train crossing as Tomohisa was fretting when the barriers chimed and closed. That was strange, Tomohisa thought. There weren’t supposed to be trains passing through the Seventh District at that hour.

Tomohisa stopped the subcompact just before the barrier and waited for the odd-houred train to pass. Once it did, however, a chill ran up his spine.

The train that came rushing down the tracks was a military cargo train with flat-cars that stretched as far down the tracks as Tomohisa could see. Every single flat-car carried a pair of Type 10 Main Battle Tanks of the JGSDF along with the occasional M270 MLRS rocket artillery vehicles.

At the other side of the train crossing, military heavy trucks and armored personnel carriers were rolling down the street, accompanying the tank-laden train. All the while, the unmistakable silhouettes of the JGSDF’s entire squadron of AH-64 Apache helicopters flew overhead.

They all seemed to be headed towards the Eighth District. When Tatsuya asked his father what was going on, the Kaname patriarch had no answer.

The hope that he held onto was all he head left, but even that was starting to fade as the deafening sound of the train filled his ears.

* * *

  **Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**The Girl Who Sold The World**

* * *

**Eighty-third Act - The Hotel California**

Spider lilies bloomed on the charred yet frosted earth in the devastated Eighth District forest as the Clara Doll Warukuchi descended from a staircase of ice. The Wraiths that had been retreating from the Mitakihara Decimette’s blistering counterattack earlier were regrouping in the now barren forest while the mysterious ‘Moksha’ Wraith loomed overhead. On top of all that, a fresh batch of flying Satori Wraiths were rallying behind it.

Even though the Witches Oktavia and Charlotte stood on the Decimette’s side, the Moksha Wraith cast its thick shadow over the Witches and made them seem small in comparison.

The Clara Doll, wearing the Mitakihara Junior High School uniform in her human form, couldn’t be more out of place in the company of those ethereal beings. However, she looked completely comfortable around them. She even rode on the shoulder of the geometric giant looming above her that froze an entire acre of land in its advent and she didn’t seem to care at all.

Warukuchi faced the Decimette with a dismissive attitude and nonchalantly spread out her arms as she addressed them,

“Ah! It seems that you lot are all still alive. I was hoping that all of you would have been busy killing each other by now, but I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Michi here has been chasing the diplomatic approach with everything, after all. It’s in her nature! ‘Gathering everyone together to become something greater than themselves’ or some sort of bullshit like that.”

The Clara Doll put a hand on her hip as she scoffed,

“That’s what you did when you became the Dreadnaught Witch, right? You forced so many girls to become a part of you and became a monster together! How wonderful, right? A gathering of Witches - Walpurgisnacht!”

Michi clenched her fist and furiously roared,

“I told you never to call me by that name again!”

Warukuchi simply folded her arms again and bluntly asked,

“Do you really think I give a damn about your position, Walpurgisnacht? You’re no longer the Second Mistress to me. You’re just a sad little girl who is so ashamed of her past that she barks at the very memory of it like the dog she is! The blood on your hands must still feel thick after more than a century of misery, I guess. Your false ‘goddess’ couldn’t wash that guilt away. Now, you have to live with the fact that you let eight million girls who were under your protection die in your very own sanctuary!”

“You were the ones who murdered them, Warukuchi! The Clara Dolls were the ones who massacred the helpless magi in the Silver Garden - and you led them in battle!”

A smirk grew on Warukuchi’s lips as she challenged,

“But you were their guardian, were you not? The ‘Caretaker’ or something like that? They turned to you for protection and you failed them miserably! Hah! But if you truly wish to blame someone for that magnificent rout, then blame your false ‘goddess’ - Madoka Kaname!”

“What did you say!?”

“Don’t act dumb with me, Michi! You know full well that the false goddess ‘ate’ the magic of all the Puella Magi that she brought up to that ‘paradise’ of yours - including your own. So, those eight million girls were left without any power to defend themselves. As for you so-called ‘Archangels’, you had to swear your allegiance to Madoka before you got your magical powers back - and even then, she kept your Witches from you!”

At that point, Sayaka came forward as well and argued,

“It couldn’t be helped, you goddamn puppet! Madoka needed that power to protect everyone and to bring about a true miracle! You served the transfer student, so you should know about how much power she needed too!”

Warukuchi grinned when she heard this and then proudly countered,

“Well then, you raspberry-for-brains. Was your false goddess able to do either of that? Was she able to protect her flock? Was she able to achieve anything close to a miracle!? All she was able to do was shove the universe ever closer to a heat death! Either this ‘goddess’ of yours is not as benevolent as you believed her to be - or she is a fool who doesn’t understand the consequences of her actions!”

The Clara Doll took a breath and then continued,

“Unlike your false goddess, my mistress Homura Akemi still has a way to change all that. Her original plan was to destroy everything in the universe except for herself and for Madoka Kaname. Things would have been so much simpler! Without the rest of the universe standing in their way, they would become the universe! That universe would die when they die - and you don’t need to spend much cosmic energy to build a small world for just two people. It will be their own little Hotel California! Dancing in a summertime courtyard - pink champagne on ice. Nothing but pure bliss for the rest of their lives!”

Michi gritted her teeth and spat at Warukuchi’s thought,

“That’s not what Homura-san wants anymore! She was pushed towards those extremes by her situation, but we are working towards another path! Trapping herself and Kaname-senpai in a false dream would be hell for them both!”

Warukuchi put her hands on her hips and lashed back,

“Says the person who enjoyed the most out of her false dream living here in modern day Mitakihara! Tell me, then! What is a true miracle? What is it like? How do we get it? What has to be sacrificed? You’ve spent your entire afterlife and your time here in Mitakihara pondering that, haven’t you!? What’s your answer, Walpurgisnacht!?”

Michi’s heart sank in the face of the Clara Doll’s battery of questions. When the doll heard Michi’s silence, Warukuchi spoke more aggressively,

“I have seen the experimental notes of Lianmeng Hou from her Manchukuo experiments - the full volumes of them. Ichibey didn’t show the raspberry everything, after all. In those notes, I caught a glimpse of the way that Wraiths saw the universe and humanity. It’s meaningless. All of it! Humans are born simply to waste space, pollute and drain the universe’s dwindling heat energy before they die and leave the world they leave in a worse place than it was before!”

Warukuchi then pointed at Michi and asked,

“Do you understand why Witches - and now, Wraiths - fed on others’ grief? That’s because that grief is tied to a desire for death! In that desire, people achieve clarity in the meaninglessness of their existence and their doomed universe. Why bother trying to make a change when you know for a fact that things will always turn out worse than it was before? Oh - that grief and despair is also the reason why the Wraiths shed off their human features with every level of enlightenment. The flesh is weak and the soul seeks nothingness!”

She then smirked as she continued,

“The Wraiths once were forces of nature that sought out grief on their own, but now they serve me and Ichibey as their masters. These Satori Wraiths and the Moksha flying above me have been meditating in the Silver Garden and feasting on the grief that has ripened there. However, the grief that this ‘Decimette’ of yours holds in their hearts spans entire generations of tragedies! Plus - if the Mistress Homura no longer has the _heart_ to do what needs to be done, then I shall do it for her!”

* * *

  **Eighty-fourth Act - Funeral Fires**

Frigid wind blew through the decimated forest as Warukuchi ran her mouth. Michi and the rest of the Decimette huddled together with Esperanza’s team, but the overwhelming force of Wraiths stared at their very souls under the ashen moonlight.

The former Caretaker’s breaths were short as she tried to figure out a way forward. There was no way for them to challenge the mass of Wraiths in that encounter and hope to come out alive. The only way for them now was to retreat and plan another strategy with Mami to maximize what little strength they had left. Michi, however, didn’t know where they could retreat to.

If Warukuchi had betrayed Homura, then nowhere in the world was safe. The real purpose of the martial law in Kangawa Prefecture must have been for this very occasion - so that the Decimette would have nowhere to run when Warukuchi revealed herself.

However, Michi caught a glimpse of a musket that Mami quietly summoned as Warukuchi was speaking. The golden-haired gunner then mentally revealed her plan to Michi and the others,

“ _Hideyoshi-san… everyone… I’ve got a clear shot on that girl’s head in a quick-draw. I’m going to shoot her and I want everyone to run back to the Hansou as soon as I fire! The Witches can cover our retreat._ ”

The Decimette and Esperanza’s team quietly acknowledged and Mami promptly raised up her musket. As soon as the barrel pointed at Warukuchi’s head, Mami skillfully pulled the trigger in a heartbeat.

It was a powerful, accurate shot - one that should have hit its mark without fail.

However, as soon as she did, time seemed to slow down in the forest. Everyone was just about to turn back as Mami planned, but they were extremely sluggish. Even the ball shot from Mami’s musket sailed so slowly through the air that Michi could see its trajectory from where she stood.

Curiously enough, Michi was moving normally - completely unaffected by the slower time. The naginata-wielder’s eyes then shot towards Warukuchi who smiled back at her deviously.

Warukuchi was using Homura’s time magic!

The Clara Doll hummed with amusement as she effortlessly plucked the ball shot from the air while speaking to the unaffected Michi,

“Ah, I guess I should have known you would try to pull something like that. A tactical distraction for a strategic retreat. The Witches would play a defensive action while you run too. It’s a pity that time magic invalidates all of that, really. Though it would have been much more fun for me if you didn’t have the Mistress’ ribbon in your hair, Walpurgisnacht. I guess that means that it’s just the two of us for now… so let me fill you in on a little secret while we have the chance.”

Warukuchi tossed the ball shot aside and the bullet slowed down in time as it fell to the ground. The Clara Doll then turned to Michi again and continued,

“The Mistress Homura has been so close to the kind of enlightenment that the Wraiths have been seeking all this time. She was beginning to understand that death is the only true freedom from her mortal coil. Immortality amounted to endless suffering - so a single lifetime with Madoka Kaname would have been sufficient for her. But you’ve thrown a wrench into her path to enlightenment, Walpurgisnacht! You’ve convinced the Mistress to harbor a will to live in spite of the futility! Tell me - have you been hoping to live the life you didn’t have vicariously through Homura Akemi?”

Again, Michi didn’t answer the Clara Doll. Instead, she held her naginata tightly and prepared herself to charge at Warukuchi.

The Clara Doll, however, was unfazed as she revealed,

“It’s pointless to resist, Walpurgisnacht. Retreating isn’t an option since I’ve called for an entire tank battalion and a missile battery under my command to set up in the Eighth District. Dozens more Satori Wraiths fresh from their ascension will also be coming down from the Silver Garden soon. More than that, the rest of the JGSDF and the militaries around the world are preparing for a major operation. Can you guess what I’m going to have them do?”

Warukuchi gestured with her hands to the illuminated cityscape of the Greater Mitakihara Area around them and declared,

“As soon as your petty resistance has been squashed, I will order all the forces at my disposal to murder the entirety of the human race. Why would I be satisfied with eight million souls when I can reap eight trillion! If the militaries of the world can’t kill them off quickly enough, then I’ll just have the Satori Wraiths feed off the grief from the mass murders and become Moksha Wraiths. Then, global temperatures will drop to the point that nothing would survive on the surface! It would be like a new Ice Age - or even better! It’ll be like the sun finally stopped shining upon the earth!”

The Clara Doll then bent down and plucked a spider lily blossom from the frosted earth and held the flower close to her heart as she spoke in a dreamlike trance,

“When that is done and the humans draw their last breaths, I will become the Goddess of a lifeless universe - the Goddess of Despair!”

The blossom in Warukuchi’s hands then coalesced into two dozen of the Clara Doll’s own black needles. She turned to Michi and asked in a patronizing tone,

“So, before I ascend - make an offering to me. I want you, your Decimette and those powerless magi to show me the depths of the despair you have locked up in your frightened hearts! Show me how bitterly you truly wish to curse this universe that you have tried to convince yourselves to protect! Show me the hatred you hold for yourselves and your pointless lives!”

At that point, Warukuchi hurled the twenty five needles at Michi’s retreating friends and the doll let time resume its natural flow. The Decimette and the Magi of the Interior were going to get stabbed in the back as they ran - just like the defenders of the Silver Garden during the siege!

Michi desperately tried to remember the trajectories of those needles and parried each and every one of them with her naginata.

However, a twenty-fifth needle came flying at an extreme angle that Michi couldn’t block. It was headed straight for Elise de Lamarliere!

Left without a choice, Michi placed herself in between Elise and the twenty-fifth needle. Then, the needle pierced the naginata-wielder just beneath the rib - the same place where Michi once stabbed the former Carissima.

Elise and the others turned around when they heard Michi’s gasp of pain. The French girl caught the wounded Michi in her arms, but she saw the blood spreading through her blue kimono as she cried,

“MICHI!”

Warukuchi clicked her tongue and hummed,

“Loyal to the end, huh? I guess this works too - but I can’t waste time playing with fish in a barrel.”

She started to climb up the staircase of ice as she dismissively spoke,

“I have a ritual to attend, my poor, cursed magi. A Goddess shouldn’t be late to her own ascension after all. But don’t worry. All of you will die honorably in a pillar of flame. It will be painless - I promise~! So, enjoy the fireworks while you can. I know I will!”

Warukuchi turned her back to the magi again and the battalion of tanks and the missile artillery pieces assembled in the distance prepared to fire.

At the drop of a hat, tank shells and surface-to-surface missiles shot towards the Decimette’s position. Oktavia and Charlotte tried to protect their masters with their bodies while Lorelei Sankt summoned as strong of an electric barrier that she could muster - but the barrage was relentless. Shell after shell and missile after missile struck the two Witches and Lorelei’s shield, mercilessly whittling away at them.

The bursts of fire and shrapnel from the bombardment seemed like a blur to the ailing Michi as she laid bleeding in Elise’s arms. However, she saw a formation of military cargo planes - C-130’s that flew overhead.

Massive bombs slid out from the rears of the C-130’s and multiple ominous whistles reached Michi’s ears.

She had seen that kind of bomb before when Homura showed her the arsenals of her armed forces. It was the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb - MOAB - or the Mother of all Bombs.

The first MOAB struck Lorelei’s shield and shattered it in one powerful blast. Then, eleven more MOABs followed to obliterate the Eighth District forest. The trees that had been charred and felled in the earlier battle, the spider lilies that sprouted from the ice, the distant Hanasou building were blown away by the sub-atomic blasts.

When the man made gusts of destruction cleared, twelve mushroom clouds of hellfire and brimstone remained, along with the Moksha Wraith that now lorded over the Eighth District.

* * *

  **Epilogue**

Shugen Wraiths were sitting cross-legged on the ash-swept meadow of the Silver Garden when the distant sub-atomic blasts from earth faintly illuminated the dark horizon of the once-hallowed plane.

In the ruined gazebo of the ash-swept meadow, Ichibey watched the blasts with absolute delight. That meant that Warukuchi had accomplished her mission and that she was returning soon.

As he was thinking about this, the Shugen Wraiths sitting on the meadow started transforming. The ethereal beings ripped off their own arms and forcefully tore their stomachs and the limbs below it while their torsos floated free. All the while, the creatures’ guts spilled down onto the ash-swept meadow in a gruesome display while their bare spines trailed below the torso like a tail.

Once their innards littered the meadow, geometric shapes grew out of the Wraiths’ armless limbs while their heads collapsed upon themselves and coalesced into dense, black triangles. Then, their ascension to become Satori Wraiths were complete - twelve more flying beasts at Ichibey’s disposal.

Ichibey wagged his tail with excitement and ordered his new squadron of ethereal beasts to join their enlightened kin and gather grief from the now defenseless Earth.

As the new Satori Wraiths took flight, he turned to the interior of the gazebo where two of the old, white lawn chairs were laid out. On those chairs, the unconscious Homura Akemi and Madoka Kaname were seated facing each other. Then, Ichibey noticed tears forming at the sides of the unconscious Homura’s eyes.

Ichibey’s malicious smile grew wider as he spoke in a patronizing tone,

“Worry not, Akemi-san. All of this will be over soon - and you will be joined to your beloved Madoka Kaname after all, just like you have always wanted. Sadness and happiness will mean nothing. Neither will good nor evil. A Goddess and a Devil will come together and become a true Deity in Warukuchi. She will destroy this wasteful universe, leaving only the two of you for the rest of eternity. Then, when the two of you come to pass, everything will be preserved in true nothingness. It shall be a release sweeter than death - the release of the destruction of our very existence. I shall observe it with delight every step of the way!”

**To Be Continued**


	25. A Cry To The Heavens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Mothers of All Bombs fall, Michi sees her life flashing before her eyes.

**Prologue**

Pain.

That was Michi Hideyoshi’s last, fleeting memory before she blacked out - a sharp, seething pain that tore through the space beneath her ribs. It was the same place where she dealt the killing blow to Elise de Lamarliere one lifetime ago during their duel in the _Edificio Gumamela_.

More than a century had passed, but karma still found a way to strike Michi back for the pain she had caused back then. Out of all the pains that Michi dealt in the past, her killing blow on Elise haunted her - especially after she reunited with her victim in the afterlife.

The two of them grew close when they served as Archangels in the Silver Garden. When their slates were wiped clean in their short yet dream-like life in Mitakihara, Michi and Elise became the closest of friends. However, as soon as Michi awoke from that dream, she once again felt Elise’s blood staining her hands.

Now, at the end of that journey, Michi and her companions were going to be incinerated by the sub-atomic bombs that were dropped on the devastated Eighth District forest. It was a shame, she thought. The reformed murderer felt like she was close to making sense of the many things she held in her troubled heart and mind.

Time and fate, however, were never Michi’s friends to begin with.

Still, Michi thought that she deserved this demise.

The Hokkaido native’s journey began with a fire in her mountain valley village after all. To disintegrate and burn in a pillar of flame - in the embrace of the Mother of All Bombs - would have been a proper end for her chaotic yet ultimamtely pointless existence.

As Michi’s thoughts wandered, however, she made a realization.

The fires that were meant to incinerate her didn’t seem to come. The pain that pierced her side had all but disappeared as well. Even though her eyes were closed, Michi could tell that she wasn’t in the devastated forest anymore either.

Instead, she felt the familiar texture of a tatami mat against her back. It was a comfortable, nostalgic feeling that Michi quietly pined for during her stay in her Mitakihara dream.

The Hokkaido native dared to open her eyes and she was greeted with an oddly familiar ceiling - one that was high and traditionally-thached. It was her home in the Oshimahana valley!

When Michi came to, she noticed that her friends and allies weren’t there. She slowly sat herself upright and then found another figure there in the room with her.

The figure sat at the other end of a short table and wore an warm smile for the naginata-wielder. She was wearing a blue kimono that was cut from the same cloth as Michi’s - only smaller and adorned with pine trees and red-crowned cranes instead of morning glories. There was also a silver kanzashi pin in her hair - the twin of the one that Michi always wore.

Before Michi could say anything, the familiar figure teased in a sweet voice,

“Mou~ onee-san! It’s been a long time since you came to visit home and you fall asleep right away?”

This was Matsuri, Michi recognized, the younger sister that she lost two lifetimes ago - her very first out of many regrets. In spite of that, Matsuri was still smiling as brightly for her as she always did.

Spurred by her curiosity, Michi sat upright and then glanced at her left hand. Just as she thought, her silver ring wasn’t there.

Was this some sort of dream? Was this a vision of life flashing before her eyes?

Sitting in the presence of her beloved sister Matsuri, Michi decided that it didn’t matter why she was there. Even though there were still many doubts that flooded her heart and her mind, she basked in the warmth of her little sister’s smile. That alone helped the tension gripping her soul start to fade away.

After a short pause, Michi managed to wear a small smile of her own as she replied,

“I apologize, Matsuri. It was so peaceful here in the village that I couldn’t help myself.”

Matsuri curiously watched her older sister as she spoke, mulling over Michi’s words. She then tilted her head and gladly reassured,

“That’s alright! You can relax for as long as you want. This is our home, after all~!”

With that, Matsuri excused herself to go and prepare some tea. Michi offered to help, but the little sister shook her head and insisted that Michi rested.

The older sister obliged and sat there on the tatami floor of the Hideyoshi household’s living room. A gentle breeze blew in through the open windows as she waited and Michi closed her eyes to savor it.

Michi knew that the winds that blew around the world carried the same air under the same sky, but there was still something different about the mountain breeze of her hometown.

If her dream-like life in Mitakihara had carried on as normal, she thought, then Michi would definitely have come to visit Hokkaido during her summer break. If the other Archangels didn’t have any other plans, then Michi would have invited them too.

Michi wasn’t sure about what they would find there in the valley, but the mountain breeze would have been enough for her.

A pang of sadness suddenly stuck the Hokkaido native’s heart. There were still so many things that she wanted to do in life, but all of those were beyond her reach once again.

The question that the Goddess Madoka asked her then resurfaced in Michi’s mind,

“ _Do you miss this time? The Interwar Period?_ ”

It wasn’t the period itself that Michi missed. It was the normal, everyday life that she was forced to forego when she became a Puella Magi. It was the home that neither Manila nor Mitakihara could hold a candle to for the simple reason that it where her heart knew that she belonged.

Tears started to streak down her cheeks and Michi found herself weeping.

When Matsuri returned with the tea, she saw her older sister in tears. The younger sister carefully set down their tea set on the table and sat down before Michi.

The older sister knew that Matsuri was going to ask her what was wrong. Michi didn’t have an answer - or rather, there were too many wrongs for her to count. However, Matsuri said something else entirely,

“Onee-san. I know what you’re thinking. You were wondering if you could stay here with me in the valley and forget about everything else, right?”

Michi was taken aback as her tears dripped down to her lap. She wiped her tears in shock and started to ask,

“How did you… know about that?”

“I know you quite well, onee-san. We were always together, after all, so we usually understood each other. But our bond runs much deeper than that, you know.”

“What do you mean by a deeper bond?”

Matsuri fell silent as she glanced at her own reflection in the tea. She then turned to Michi again and answered bluntly,

“Onee-san. I am your Witch. I share my thoughts with you, so I understand you perfectly.”

“W-what!?”

“It’s true. I am Matsuri - the Witch of Peace who was born in the flames of war and strife. This entire town of Oshimahana is my barrier.”

“How can that be!?”

Matsuri heaved a sigh and germanic runes started flowing out of her mouth as she spoke,

“I am just like the Witches of the Archangels of the Silver Garden. The sanctuaries that the Goddess Madoka made for us were derived from Witches’ barriers. You have visited those sanctuaries before, haven’t you?”

Lorelei’s Tiergarten mansion.

Ligaya’s Taysan village.

Audrey’s midtown New York apartment.

Serafina’s Romaskha Building.

Elise’s Edificio Gumamela.

Nagisa’s sweets shop.

Oshimahana.

Michi had been to them all once upon a time, but she still couldn’t believe it. The Witch Matsuri laid her hands on her lap as she continued,

“Do you understand now, onee-san? The grief that you carried in your heart came from your regret. You blamed yourself for our deaths and you always thought things like, ‘I should have died instead of them!’ ‘Matsuri deserves life more than I do!’ ‘I would bring her back to life if I could!’”

She then looked straight into Michi’s eyes and somberly revealed,

“Well, long story short, you did bring me back to life - albeit as your Witch. This physical body of mine is just an illusion - smoke and mirrors that cannot be destroyed. Had I manifested during your journeys then, I would have welcomed my victims like this and kept them in this false haven. The only way to defeat me would have been to burn down this entire town, just like you did in the Winter of 1916.”

Matsuri glanced out of the room’s open sliding doors and watched as clouds formed over the idyll town. The Witch of Peace closed her eyes and then deduced,

“I understand what you desired to see, onee-san. You wanted someone else to burn down this town in your stead. That way, you could pin the blame on them and lift the heaviness from your heart. But even you knew quite well that you wouldn’t be satisfied with that. It won’t change the fact that you burned down this town yourself so many decades ago.”

Michi’s heart trembled and she hung her head low in defeat. Her sister was reading her heart and mind as if they were open books.

Then Matsuri made one last conclusion,

“You feel the same way about the time you became the Dreadnaught Witch Walpurgisnacht - am I right?”

This time, Michi shook her head and tearfully denied,

“That wasn’t me! That was a monster that the Incubators released! That was the Incubators’ insurance - their means to perpetuate the cycle of hope and despair! I despise everything that wretched creature did!”

Matsuri, however, scooted over to Michi’s side of the table and promptly wiped her tears with a handkerchief as she reassured,

“I’m not mad at you for what happened, onee-san. After all, you were doing what needed to be done at the time. You committed yourself to the best course of action that you could take - even at great expense to yourself. But i’m not sure if you realize this - but you still managed to keep your promise with me.”

“Promise…?”

“Remember back in the day, onee-san, when we would pore over the old maps of the world? You promised me that you would take me with you on a journey around the world! Well - as your Witch - you did bring me with you in your travels. Even in the darkest times that you detest, I was with you. Even when you became the Dreadnaught Witch, we became monsters together!”

“Matsuri, that’s…!”

“As much fun as I’ve had with you, onee-san, it’s time for you to let me go. I want you to forgive yourself and accept the past as an unmistakable part of yourself.”

Michi clenched her fists and argued with her sister,

“I can’t do that, Matsuri! I don’t want to lose you! My entire life has been about losing people who are close to me! I’ve lost so many that I can’t bear it anymore!”

Matsuri shook her head and then tenderly insisted,

“You won’t lose me, onee-san. I will always be with you, just like before. But that doesn’t mean you have to throw away your own life - your own happiness - because of the past. I have already lost my only life a long time ago, but you still have a chance to live yours, onee-san!”

The younger sister then took Michi’s hands in hers and urged,

“I want you to be happy, onee-san! I want you to live your life not only for me! Don’t stay standing in one place, spending every waking moment thinking about disappearing. After all, you still have people waiting for you on the other side.”

When Matsuri said this, muffled voices started reaching Michi’s ears. They were coming out of the woodwork through the floor, the walls and the ceiling. It was hard to tell exactly what they were saying, but she was sure that they were calling Michi by name.

Then, it started to rain in Oshimahana.

It was a mild drizzle at first that became a strong downpour in a few heartbeats.

Michi turned to face her sister and ask for another explanation, but she saw the Witch of Peace wearing a tearful smile. It was an answer that reached Michi’s heart almost immediately, so she smiled back and promised,

“I will see you again soon, Matsuri.”

“I know… but for now, you have to go. You have been fighting to give Homura Akemi a will to live and your companions have found reasons to fight because of you. Those people need you now more than ever - so don’t keep them waiting! Open your eyes - and breathe!”

…

In the blink of an eye, Michi found herself lying on her back once again. Rather than the tatami floor of the Hideyoshi household’s living room, she felt cold marble pressed against her back. Her head, however, was resting on another person’s lap and her face was wet with warm tears.

The naginata-wielder looked up and saw that she was resting her head on the lap of Elise de Lamarliere. Her old adversary was sobbing bitterly while somberly stroking Michi’s locks of long, black hair. Soft, lilac light flowed from the French knight’s soul gem.

As soon as Michi stirred again, Elise gasped,

“M-Michi! Oh dear! W-we thought you were dead! You didn’t have a pulse… and your eyes were blank!”

In contrast to Elise’s panic, Michi simply closed her eyes and reminisced,

“I nearly did, Elise. I was with my sister and I was thinking about joining her in the afterlife. However, she turned me away with a warm smile - can you believe it? But deep inside, I was happy that she did. I only realized it now but there are still so many things that I want to do in life. I can’t die yet - not here - not in this wretched nightmare.”

The once vengeful murderer reached up and wiped the tears of the person she hated with every fiber of her being a lifetime ago. Then, she placed her hand gently on Elise’s cheek and continued,

“I want to die old and happy, surrounded by family and friends. You’ll be there too, Elise. After all, you promised that you would be there for me… but you won’t be my Exemplar or an Archangel either. I don’t think you’d even be a Puella Magi… but you will be there as my dearest friend.”

After hearing those words, Elise tenderly set her hand on top of Michi’s and nodded to her. Without saying a word, their promise was forged in silence.

It was at that point that they decided that they were going to see things through, come what may.

* * *

  **Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**A Cry To The Heavens**

* * *

**Eighty-fifth Act - Window To The Garden**

After her tender moment with Elise, Michi finally managed to settle down. She found her bearings and realized that she had been whisked off to yet another place. That time, however, she wasn’t alone.

The two of them were in the confines of a posh art gallery that Michi had never seen before. The rest of the Mitakihara Decimette and the twelve girls of Esperanza’s gunners were scattered around the gallery as well. They were treating their wounds with bandages and magic while tending to their damaged weapons.

There were no signs of the sub-atomic bombs that were dropped on the Eighth District forest or the explosions that they were supposed to have yielded, so Michi’s curiosity swelled. The naginata-wielder turned to Elise and asked,

“Elise… how exactly did we make it out of the forest alive?”

Before Elise could reply, however, a shadow loomed over the two of them and answered haughtily,

“ _Bienvenue, orientale_ . ‘Welcome to my gallery’ is what I wanted to say if I felt the need to be courteous, but you lot came in here with all this dirt and dust and blood and sweat. These floors are premium _Alsacien_ marble and the panels are made pure, Strasbourg willows! I will have to clean it again when you bothersome lot finally leave!”

Michi sat upright and then turned around to find another figure that looked exactly like Elise - except for the oil-painting like texture of her clothes and face. She was wearing a lilac apron over what appeared to be the Mitakihara Junior High School uniform and a palette of paints in one hand and a paintbrush in another.

The Elise lookalike noticed Michi looking curiously at her, so she covered her chest and berated,

“Why do you look at me with such intent, _orientale?_ Don’t tell me that you are not satisfied with one Elise and that you wish to have a sandwich!”

Michi, however, simply looked blankly at the figure and bluntly asked,

“Elise - who is this?”

The French girl folded her arms and explained,

“She is Francine, the Witch of Paintings, and I am her master. Miki-san helped me awaken her once upon a time when we were still planning to assault Akemi-san. This time around, Francine spirited us away to her barrer - this gallery - before the MOABs could fall. The Mitakihara Junior High School, the Hanasou and everything in between, however, no longer stand. At the very least, we are fortunate enough to live and fight another day.”

Michi heaved a sigh of relief, but she then turned to Francine and asked,

“Warukuchi said that she would massacre the civilians around the world. Has she started yet?”

Francine set aside her paintbrush and palette as she walked over to one of the paintings on the gallery. It was the nighttime skyline of the Greater Mitakihara Area, but it was moving as if it were a window facing the city itself.

The Witch put her hands on her hips as she looked out to the city and reported,

“The JGSDF is getting ready - and so are the militaries of the countries around the world. They haven’t started killing civilians - yet.”

Francine gestured around her and showed the various cityscapes from around the world, showing a similar scene at different times of day. She then turned back to Michi and explained,

“I can sense a narcissist when I see one - and this Warukuchi of yours is quite a self-centered little brat. I’m guessing that she’ll give the military her command once she ascends becomes that self-proclaimed ‘Goddess of Despair’”

As Francine was speaking, Mami and Sayaka approached them and joined the conversation. The saber-fighter spoke first and urged,

“That is why we have to ambush Warukuchi before she ascends. She’s going to the Silver Garden to perform her ritual of ascension. If I remember the things that Ichibey told me correctly, the Silver Garden is the perfect place for that final ritual. The immense negative karma that exists there - paired with the panic of a major assault on the Earth - would have been more than enough to raise a Deity.”

The blue-haired girl played with her long locks and then admitted,

“To be honest, I was also hoping to become a Goddess to lead the battle against the transfer student. If I did that, then I would have been prepared to wage a total, holy war. I would have stood a chance of winning too if I played my cards right. But now - we have to stop Warukuchi from using my old plan against us.”

Once Sayaka finished her spiel, Mami came forward and put her hands on her hips as she summarized,

“In effect, we have to prevent Warukuchi from making it to her ritual in the Silver Garden by any means necessary. That means we will have to secure a defensive position in the Silver Garden and protect it at all costs. We do not have any ground to lose like we did in the Eighth District Forest, nor do we have plastic explosives to punish the enemy advance.”

The golden-haired strategist glanced at the multitude of paintings hanging from the walls and noted,

“The Witch Francine’s powers do present us astounding flexibility, but we can only dance around the battlefield long enough before we get overwhelmed. That’s why Miki-san had a suggestion, Hideyoshi-san.”

She then gestured to Sayaka, asking her to approach Michi herself. The saber-fighter gathered her courage and obliged as she proposed,

“You see, Michi, we Archangels still have a fraction of the divine powers that the Goddess Madoka blessed them with. If everyone lends me their powers, I can awaken them. I nearly perfected the technique during the attack on the Mitakihara Junior High School - but I think I’ve gotten the hang of it.”

Elise furrowed her brow at the suggestion and was about to challenge Sayaka’s proposal when Michi beat her to the punch,

“Sayaka-senpai, that is a worrisome request. How can we be sure that we can trust you?”

The former revolutionary faced Michi and answered plainly,

“Madoka’s divine magic is only as strong as the faith of her flock. If you don’t believe in me, then that magic will become harmless and you can deal with me in any way that you like. However… if you do give me a chance, then we might become stronger than we have ever been.”

The other Archangels turned to Michi in anticipation, waiting for her reply. The former Caretaker closed her eyes in deep thought before she finally answered,

“If that’s the case, then I would like to ask you for a favor as well, Sayaka-senpai. But first, I have to make sure that you can win against Warukuchi.”

Michi then reached behind the back of her head and then pulled off the purple ribbon that hung from her kanzashi hairpin. She folded the ribbon neatly and then handed it to Sayaka as she asked,

“You understand what this ribbon means, don’t you?”

Sayaka nodded and took the ribbon as she brightly replied,

“I guess I’ll be borrowing this then, Mi-chan. Thank you. I won’t let you guys down again!”

* * *

  **Eighty-sixth Act - I Believe In You**

One after another, the Archangels of the Silver Garden gathered together and formed a circle around Sayaka Miki. They held out their Soul Gems to the saber fighter who raised up her own gem above her with both hands.

Mami, Kyouko, the Witch Francine and Esperanza’s gunners looked on from the sidelines and watched the ritual with curious eyes.

Powder blue lights twinkled in the former revolutionary’s gem while wisps of brilliance surfaced in the gems of the Archangels. Those lights all started to dance as they took on lives of their own.

The memories that the Archangels had of their first encounter with the Goddess Madoka surfaced in their minds and reflected on their gems as they recalled the covenants that they made.

Then, the dancing lights floated up from the Archangels’ gems and circled around Sayaka. Those lights all coalesced and whisked her away into a depthless plane of bright white.

Sayaka Miki found herself alone in that plane, holding onto her own Soul Gem that still shone brilliantly. She lowered her gem and looked around the depthless plane until she found a figure approaching her - the Goddess Madoka herself.

The Exemplar couldn’t help herself from smiling as she reunited with the dear friend that she so sorely missed.

Madoka’s vision took Sayaka’s hands in hers, together with the shining powder blue Soul Gem. The Goddess then noted,

“It seems that Michi-chan was able to bring everyone together, Sayaka-chan. The odds were stacked against us, but the Silver Garden is finally reunited.”

Sayaka was puzzled by Madoka’s cryptic words, but the Goddess continued,

“When I asked you to bring Homura-chan to paradise, that paradise didn’t have to be the Silver Garden itself as a place. Anywhere can be a paradise if we choose to make it so - and that is where I want you to take Homura-chan. She is facing a quiet, hidden battle in her own heart right now and she needs all of us - including you - to be at her side. Can you promise to be there with me at her side?”

Sayaka took a moment to think before she firmly nodded.

Madoka smiled at Sayaka and then kissed her on the forehead.

Her blue hair lengthened even further - all the way down to her hips. A sparkling, white breastplate replaced Sayaka’s own with a flash of brilliant light while her blouse and her white cape were adorned with constellations - just like Madoka’s own astral dress.

Madoka’s vision then embraced Sayaka and let a pair of radiant white wings sprout from behind her back. At that point, the vision disappeared as she whispered in Sayaka’s ear,

“Open your eyes, Sayaka-chan. Everyone’s waiting for you.”

Sayaka obliged and her blue eyes shone in brilliant gold. The Archangels and the others gathered there watched Sayaka’s new form with awe.

In spite of her transformation, however, she still wore her confident grin and gave her command,

“Let’s stop an ascension then, shall we?”

* * *

  **Eighty-seventh Act - The Second Battle of the Silver Garden**

There was a spring in Warukuchi’s step as the Clara Doll walked through the ash-swept meadow of the Silver Garden. The Moksha Wraith that carried her to the god-forsaken plane accompanied her and hung above her like a crooked, geometric halo. All the while, the barren ground and the ash froze over while spider lilies bloomed unhindered.

This was the Clara Doll’s victory march on her way to the gazebo where Ichibey held the Goddess of Hope and the Devil of Love hostage in the last and strongest Isolation Field that he would ever make.

A fresh batch of hundreds of Shugen Wraiths that were meditating on the ash-swept meadow ceased their rumination and sat upright to acknowledge the Clara Doll who was marked for ascension.

Warukuchi waved back to them, ordering them to carry on with their meditation. As soon as Warukuchi ascended, after all, the eradication of the human race would begin and those Wraiths would feast on the immense grief that would overflow.

As the Clara Doll was crossing the meadow, however, she felt an odd presence lingering around the garden.

That was strange, she thought. The Decimette and their allies should have been incinerated in sub-atomic flame and the JGSDF was deployed to kill off any unlikely survivors. More than that, she made sure to destroy the Mitakihara Central Station and the Tengoku line to the Silver Garden along with it.

There shouldn’t have been a way for anyone else to reach the Silver Garden, but Warukuchi couldn’t help but worry.

As the Clara Doll approached the steps of the ruined gazebo, however, two powerful cries reached Warukuchi’s ears at once,

“TIRO PHANTASMA!”

Eight gigantic cannons appeared around the edges of the meadow, aimed at Warukuchi and the multitude of meditating Shugen Wraiths. All eight guns fired at once and blasted them with golden blasts, followed by walls of red diamond lattice.

All of the Wraiths on the meadow were either incinerated or maimed by the combination attack while Warukuchi was knocked off of her feet and thrown far away from the gazebo.

The Clara Doll quickly regained her balance and tried to spring back to action, but she realized that the red diamond lattice had formed a powerful cage around her!

The Moksha Wraith that had been watching over Warukuchi turned around in the air, searching for enemies to attack - but there were none! The eight guns that appeared out of nowhere fizzled away as soon as they were spent.

Frustrated by the ambush, Warukuchi screamed profanities at the Moksha Wraiths in germanic runes and demanded reinforcements. The batches of newly-ascended Satori Wraiths that were descending down to the earth hastily turned back to the Silver Garden to heed Warukuchi’s call.

…

As the nearest batch of Satori Wraiths was making its way back to the Silver Garden, the sound of a trumpet resounded throughout the Silver Garden. It was playing the Largo movement of Dvorak’s 9th symphony, urging the Satori Wraiths to quicken their pace.

Once they did, however, they started seeing their reflections on a multitude of soap bubbles that had been spread out like mines in the stratosphere. The Satori Wraiths were immediately bombarded with powerful, magical explosions that stalled their advance.

Then, a formation of two dozen F-5 Freedom Fighters launched from behind the veil of bubbles and intercepted the staggered Satori Wraiths with heavy bursts of 20mm gunfire, barrages of unguided rockets and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

Caught by surprise, the Satori Wraiths panicked at first and lost three of their kind in the first few seconds of contact. However, the ascended creatures sent their white cubes flying around to block the rockets and missiles and to try and smash the fighter planes that were relentlessly launching them. All the while, they tried to carry on towards the Silver Garden meadow to regroup with the Warukuchi and the Moksha Wraith.

When they approached the edge of the Silver Garden, however, Audrey Burnham was already there waiting for them. Deployed beside her were a battery of ten 155mm M1 ‘Long Tom’ guns and a pair of massive 240mm M1 ‘Black Dragon’ coastal artillery guns. The American folded her arms confidently and cried out,

“Sorry! I can’t let you boys through!”

With that, she pulled off her golden neckerchief and waved it towards the Satori Wraiths. Then, her heavy battery unleashed a deafening barrage.

The 155mm shells burst in the spaces between the Satori Wraiths and shattered their formations while the massive 240mm shells smashed the isolated Satori Wraiths’ formidable armor.

As Audrey prepared her guns for the second barrage, the Witch Charlotte shot out from thin air and carried Nagisa Momoe and her trumpet to the fray. Under the cover of Audrey’s artillery and Ligaya’s fighters, Charlotte closed the gap and let Nagisa blow more bubble mines in the air.

The American put a hand on her hip and hummed contentedly. Then, she heard the ominous chanting of lesser and Shugen Wraiths approaching from behind her.

Audrey heaved a sigh and muttered,

“They’re trying to call this their home court, huh? But this place was ours to begin with!”

The moment that Audrey said this, multiple windows appeared in the forest and opened. Esperanza and her team brought out their automatic weapons and started laying down accurate bursts of fire to pick off the reinforcing Wraiths.

At that point, the Shugen Wraiths in the new formation aimed their flaming spears and trained them at the lone Puella Magi they saw on the grounds of the Silver Garden.

The Shugen Wraiths threw their spears with all of their might, but they all suddenly came to a halt midair. They were caught by an electric shield!

Lorelei Sankt stepped out of one of the windows with her lightning scepter raised up high as she grinned at Audrey. A column of a dozen M41 Walker Bulldog tanks followed Lorelei as well as Ligaya commanded the foremost tank.

Mami and Kyouko revealed themselves as well and joined the others on the battlefield, prepared to move on to the next phase of their assault. Then, Serafina followed suit and dispelled the cloaking magic that she had been using up until then. Myriads of paintings then appeared all around the Silver Garden from where the Decimette and their allies had would launch their blistering assault.

…

Warukuchi watched her foes amassing at the edge of the garden where they were prepared to bring the fight to her. However, the Clara Doll’s wild eyes glowed bright pink as a furious gale blew through the ash-swept meadow.

In the blink of an eye, time froze throughout the Silver Garden and the attacking magi were left vulnerable once more. Warukuchi broke out of her cage of red diamond lattice and then plucked handsful of spider lilies from the frozen earth beneath her feet.

Those lilies transformed into a thousand black needles that floated behind Warukuchi at her command. The Clara Doll then roared to her time-frozen foes,

“Woe to you, foolish zealots of the old order! I am Warukuchi - soon to become the Goddess of Despair! Both the false goddess and the weak-hearted devil are my hostages and I have already siphoned some power off of them - enough to make myself a Demigoddess!”

While Warukuchi was declaring her strength, however, a happy-go-lucky voice interrupted her,

“Demigoddess, huh? Well then - that makes two of us!”

Five sabers glowing with powder blue light then suddenly flew behind Warukuchi in spite of the frozen time. The sabers systematically shattered the black needles behind the Clara Doll before they returned to where they came.

Warukuchi turned around with a livid, animal-like expression about her as the owner of the blades caught one of them by the handle in her gloved hands. She then saw the unusually radiant figure of Sayaka Miki in the flesh while a lock of her long, blue hair was tied with a peculiar purple ribbon.

* * *

  **Eighty-eighth Act - The Raspberry and the Doll**

The time-frozen scene of the Silver Garden echoed with the blessed Sayaka’s footsteps as she faced off against the partially-ascended Warukuchi. The infuriated Clara Doll lashed out at Sayaka and scoffed,

“I’m surprised that the foolish Michi wasn’t the one who would challenge me to a fight. I didn’t think that she would have given you the mistress’ ribbon so easily either.”

“It took me a while to understand that girl, but I can say one thing for sure about her. Mi-chan isn’t a fool - but she’s the type who’s willing to bet everything on even the slightest glimmers of hope. That’s why Madoka entrusted the garden to her - and why Homura relied on her before the charade ended. She came to me with such an earnest fire in her eyes and undying hope in her heart that even I was convinced that she was the real deal!”

Sayaka confidently slashed at the air with her saber as she added,

“Mi-chan doesn’t fight people that she doesn’t respect - or people she holds hope for either. You’re not exactly somebody who inspires hope or commands respect, Warukuchi. But that’s where Mi-chan and I are different. I’m totally foolish and I act more than I think - but that’s not always a bad thing! If there’s someone I want to beat up, I do just that.”

The four other sabers circled around Sayaka while she pointed her blade at Warukuchi and declared,

“And oh, Student Council President, I’ve been waiting to beat your pretty ass the moment I saw you!"

Sayaka’s four sabers shot towards Warukuchi, so the Clara Doll summoned a dozen new black needles to her side. The powerful sabers clashed against the many needles in a fierce skirmish while Sayaka advanced towards her foe.

She burst through the middle of the skirmish and unleashed a flurry of slashes on Warukuchi. The Clara Doll held two needles and blocked Sayaka’s assault handily.

Warukuchi then grinned as she caught Sayaka’s saber with her needles and madly laughed,

“Hah! You’re not as tough as you look! Let me guess - you ascended with the leftover holy power that the so-called ‘Archangels’ had in them. Well, I’ve got power that came straight from your false goddess - and from the devil herself!”

Sayaka was unfazed, however, as she fixed her glowing, golden eyes on Warukuchi’s shimmering pink. She then smirked and challenged,

“Madoka believes in me - and she doesn’t have a shred of faith in you! That’s my leg up on you, council prez!”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Hehe, watch and learn!”

The blessed saber-fighter shored up her strength and pushed Warukuchi back a few paces. Then, her saber started to glow pearly white and crackle with electricity.

Warukuchi watched the sparks with horror as she started to realize what was going on. Sayaka then pointed her saber at the Clara Doll and fired a bolt of lightning at her.

The lightning bolt struck Warukuchi, but she shrugged off the searing pain and the shock. Warukuchi’s WristComm device, however, was fried.

Sayaka snickered as the Clara Doll checked her device, so she explained,

“I just had to make sure that you couldn’t launch that massacre of yours on the Earth. We’re messing with the communications of your troops too - which is quite easy to do when you’ve got a Broadcasting Club that can go anywhere around the world~!”

“... you fucking raspberry!”

Sayaka shrugged nonchalantly and lectured as she summoned one of Elise’s heavy greatswords,

“Plus, you look like you were prepared for a one-on-one battle. I was too - but I’m not exactly fighting alone here. And if there’s one thing you should know about me - I’m not afraid to play unfairly~!”

At her command, the Witch Oktavia arose from Sayaka’s shadow and loomed over the blessed saber fighter and the Clara Doll.

Warukuchi spat on the frozen floor and gritted her teeth as she dispelled her time magic. The assault of the Mitakihara Decimette resumed in earnest, but the Moksha Wraith started to move as well. The completely geometric monster gathered a multitude of white cubes to itself and prepared to make its final stand together with Warukuchi.

The Clara Doll held her two needles as she called Sayaka’s challenge,

“Very well - if you want a fight, then I’ll give you one! Satori Wraiths that were gathered in the earth are headed back to this god-forsaken garden! Now _that_ will be an unfair fight in my favor. All I have to do is hold you bitches back for just a little while longer!”

When Warukuchi’s shimmering pink eyes swept the battlefield, however, she only counted eight Puella Magi in the fray. It was only then that she realized that neither Michi nor Elise were engaged in battle, so she thought out loud,

“Hideyoshi and De Lamarliere… where are they!?”

Sayaka chuckled at Warukuchi’s panic as she taunted,

“Wouldn’t you like to know~!”

* * *

  **First Interlude**

Michi and Elise rushed through the foggy halls of what used to be the Cloister of Clouds where shattered portafinestra windows to the blighted sanctuaries of twice-deceased Puella Magi still hovered. Gangs of lesser Wraiths emerged in that depthless hallway as the naginata-wielder and the knight fought their way through.

Barrages of black beams threatened the two girls, but the lesser Wraiths’ attacks didn’t slow them down. They two of them simply redoubled their efforts and broke through the ranks at a breakneck speed.

Before long, the two of them reached the end of the path where seven portafinestra windows floated. Those were supposed to be the doors to the sanctuaries of the Archangels of the Silver Garden. However, when Michi and Elise gazed inside, they saw the Archangels fighting the grand battle in the meadow.

The portafinestra meant for Elise’s sanctuary simply showed a reflection of the foggy courtyard where the naginata-wielder and the knight were. A small smile formed on Elise’s lips as she thought out loud,

“Our sanctuary is the present now, huh?”

When they reached the door to Michi’s sanctuary, they saw the familiar path to the Oshimahana valley. The naginata-wielder saw her faint reflection on the windowed door and mused,

“I’ve been keeping my sister’s memory holed up in my heart together with all of my regrets and the grief that I’ve stubbornly shouldered on my own. I wanted to carry the world on my shoulders hoping that it would crush me and erase me from existence… but that’s not what my sister would have wanted.”

Elise set the point of her greatsword down to the ground and added,

“That’s not what any of us would have wanted, Michi. We’re glad for all of the battles that you fought for us - but we care about you too. Just say the word and we’ll fight those battles with you”

Michi nodded and wore a small smile as she asked,

“Then let’s open this door together, Elise. The rise and fall of a Dreadnaught Witch always heralded a new era in the history of humanity, so let’s write history one more time!”

* * *

  **Eighty-ninth Act - I Am Walpurgisnacht**

The ash-swept meadow of the Silver Garden trembled beneath Sayaka’s and Warukuchi’s feet as they clashed. The blessed saber-fighter and the Clara Doll leapt back and put some distance between them before they both turned to the source of the commotion.

There, they saw the distant threshold to the Cloister of Clouds in pandemonium as a procession of green elephants marched out of it, pulling strings with festival banners along with them. The charred trees of the Barrier Forest around them then burst into a multi-colored flame as they were uprooted from the barren earth. The flaming, uprooted trees danced around like eight million torches in the starless night sky.

The Cloister’s threshold shattered violently as stone and earth were displaced by a tremendous force. Then, there was a bone-chilling laugh that echoed throughout the ruins of the Silver Garden as the Dreadnaught Witch Walpurgisnacht arose.

Sayaka wore a smirk as she joked,

“I never thought I’d be happy to hear that goddamn laugh again!”

As the Dreadnaught Witch emerged, Michi and Elise appeared atop the creature’s shifting body of gears. The two magi held onto the gears as Walpurgisnacht advanced towards the still unscathed Moksha Wraith.

The shadow of Walpurgisnacht loomed over Sayaka and Warukuchi as they continued their duel once more. Then, the eight million burning trees shot towards the Moksha Wraith in a fiery barrage.

The Moksha Wraith drew back and unleashed its multitudes of white cubes to protect itself from the Dreadnaught Witch’s attack. Walpurgisnacht took that opportunity to close the distance between her and her foe as she blasted the Moksha with her otherworldly flaming breath.

Walpurgisnacht’s breath burned through the wall of white cubes that surrounded the Moksha before setting the geometric giant ablaze with unholy flame. The invulnerable geometric plates that shielded the Moksha’s body warped from heat and flaked from corrosion.

The Dreadnaught Witch’s own metallic gears rusted from the presence of the Moksha Wraith, but she pressed the attack and then rammed its foe with full force. Michi and Elise were nearly thrown off in the maneuver and Walpurgisnacht’s gears jammed from the impact. However, the Moksha Wraith’s armor plates finally started to fracture.

Ethereal hands emerged from the empty sleeves of Walpurgisnacht’s inverted dress and grabbed a hold of the fractured plates and pulled them apart with titanic strength.

Michi and Elise watched from the displaced gears as Walpurgisnacht tore apart the Moksha Wraith’s armor, exposing the grey, brain-like matter that was beating like a heart beneath it. When the hairline fracture was opened, the two magi stood together on the Dreadnaught’s gears.

They summoned their weapons as they prepared themselves to leap into the fracture. They took each others’ hands and then cried out together,

“FIORO MAGNIFICO!”

Cherry blossoms and lily petals accompanied a trail of bright turquoise blue and lilac lights as Michi and Elise pierced through the beating grey matter. An agonizing, incomprehensible roar of pain resounded throughout the Silver Garden as the despair of an entire generation of souls came flooding out of the Moksha’s shell.

Black blood burst through the spaces in between the plates as the grey matter swelled while the geometric giant’s armor plates started collapsing upon itself. The Moksha desperately tried to hold the despair that it had eaten within it while attempting to crush the two girls who had dealt the killing blow.

In response, Walpurgisnacht pulled back and then rammed the dying Moksha a second time. She broke Michi and Elise free from the desperate trap and then caught the both of them in her ethereal hands.

* * *

  **Epilogue**

Countless Grief Cubes rained down upon the ash-swept battlefield like hail as Warukuchi started losing ground to Sayaka Miki. The death of the Moksha Wraith emboldened the blessed saber-fighter who charged relentlessly at the Clara Doll.

Remnants of the Moksha Wraith’s cubes tried to attack the rampaging Sayaka, but the she crushed them with her copy of Elise’s greatsword. Warukuchi was on her last leg.

Then, a volley of rifled musket shots whizzed towards the retreating Warukuchi and struck her on the arms and legs.

Warukuchi winced from the pain, but before she could even gasp, Sayaka closed the distance between them and landed a powerful kick square on Warukuchi’s chest. That kick sent the Clara Doll flying backwards into a new wall of red diamond lattice.

The red wall cut into the skin of Warukuchi’s back as she slammed into it. Weakened by the combined assault, Warukuchi hung her head low. She knew she was about to face defeat as her two black needles slipped from the weak grip of her hands.

Thus, Warukuchi stood there bleeding to death in Kyouko Sakura’s trap.

The golden-haired strategist and her red-haired junior joined Sayaka as they approached the trapped, defeated doll together.

Warukuchi didn’t raise up her weary head as she weakly yet grimly warned,

“This… won’t end with me… dying here. There are more… Satori Wraiths coming here. Some of them… might even enlighten themselves… and achieve ‘Moksha’. And the universe… is now surely doomed… because of your foolishness…”

Sayaka dissolved her copy of Elise’s greatsword and then summoned one of her own sabers as she countered,

“If Satori Wraiths are coming for us here, then we’ll face them and fight back. If the universe is about to die, then we’ll face that too and figure something out. I’m throwing caution to the wind now - I’m tired of this fatalistic charade… and I’m sure that the transfer student is tired of all this too.”

Warukuchi raised her head up with great effort as she spat at Sayaka,

“What makes you think… that you know anything about… the Mistress?”

Sayaka put a hand on her hip and calmly explained,

“I’ve been studying the transfer student since the day I got here - looking into her strengths and weaknesses. In a way, I guess you could say she was always on my mind. That meant, I got to notice certain things about her - especially her relationship with you dolls. The Clara Dolls are part of Homura Akemi’s psyche, aren’t they?”

The Clara Doll was surprised by Sayaka’s guess, so the blessed saber-fighter figured that she hit the nail on the head as she continued,

“You, Warukuchi, were born from Homura’s pride and pragmatism when she was faced with some very tough decisions about the fate of the universe. But there’s more to life than that and Homura started to understand that somewhere along the way when Michi dared to stand up to her with words. I’m starting to understand that too - and I feel that Michi’s got it all figured out.”

“Does that mean… you’re going to let… Walpurgisnacht become your Goddess?”

Sayaka undid the purple ribbon tied to her hair and answered,

“Only if Mi-chan decides to become one. I don’t know much about Mi-chan yet to say for sure, but I have a feeling that she would hate being a Goddess. At least, that’s what I believe.”

“Is that… so…?”

With those words, Warukuchi drew her last breath as her body dissolved to black ash.

…

The battered Walpurgisnacht descended down to the meadow and helped Michi and Elise down with her ethereal hands to where Mami, Kyouko and Sayaka. Nagisa and the rest of the Decimette regrouped with Esperanza and her gunners through the many painting portals of the Witch Francine.

A vast number of Satori Wraiths appeared in the distance - the first wave of possibly countless more. They flew towards the ash-swept garden in haste to avenge the fallen Moksha. There were so many of them that their formations nearly blotted out the half-moon in the night sky. Even with Francine, Charlotte, Oktavia and Walpurgisnacht herself, they wouldn’t possibly have been able to defeat them all.

Lorelei Sankt then turned to the ruined gazebo and pointed her lightning scepter at it. She cast a small spark of electricity at it and illuminated the dome shape of the Isolation Field. The field’s complex series of circuits and patterns were revealed by the spark and Lorelei observed them with her sharp blue eyes.

The German girl dissolved her lightning scepter and quickly concluded,

“I’ve seen these patterns before. It’s just like the Isolation Field that took Akemi-senpai back during the Law of Cycles. The barrier is designed to only let certain people in - people who are called into the field. Warukuchi was one of those people - the person that Ichibey chose to ascend to full divinity.”

She then turned to Sayaka and pointed to the purple ribbon that she was holding in her hands and added,

“For us, though, that ribbon is an invitation. Whoever has it on her person will be let inside, but no one else.”

Sayaka looked at the purple ribbon in her hands and noted,

“While it was nice to counter Homura’s time magic with this thing, this isn’t my ribbon. Here.”

The blessed saber-fighter handed the purple ribbon back to Michi and continued,

“After everything we’ve been through, I believe that you hold the key to a true miracle. All you have to do now is decide what that miracle is and to make it happen.”

Michi looked around and saw the others looking at her with nods of approval and warm, emotional smiles on their lips. The naginata-wielder graciously took the purple ribbon again and replied,

“Thank you for your trust, Miki-senpai - everyone.”

However, she looked at the ribbon in her hands and her heart suddenly grew heavy as she admitted,

“To be honest, I’m afraid - terribly afraid of what happens next. I have decided what kind of miracle I want to see, but I cannot say for sure if it’s the right choice. I cannot even assure you that we will get what we want…”

While Michi was having second thoughts, Elise broke rank and came forward. The French girl took the purple ribbon from Michi’s hands as she spoke,

“None of us are prepared for what happens next, Michi - but we believe in you. We have hope in the future and the path that you choose. That’s why all of us have journeyed with you all this time.”

She then tied the ribbon to Michi’s silver kanzashi hairpin and reassured,

“We will be with you until the very end - and even beyond, if it comes to that. So go! Do what needs to be done!”

Michi held her hands close to her heart as she was moved by Elise’s words. She then clenched her fists and passionately told everyone gathered there,

“If this is the last time that we meet, then I want you all to know this. I hold the time that we spent together close to my heart - every single moment of it! I promised the Goddess Madoka that I would have a wonderful story for her and I thought that I had failed her - but I haven’t. This journey of ours has been the most wonderful story that I have ever had the honor of being a part of!”

The naginata-wielder then lowered her hands and wore a smile for everyone there. Then, she gave them all a deep and respectful bow before she turned to the Isolation Field and said,

“I’ll see you all soon.”

With that, Michi took a deep breath and marched through the transparent barrier and never looked back.

**To Be Continued**


	26. Peace In Our Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michi confronts Ichibey in the gazebo of the Silver Garden.

**Prologue**

The sound of crackling static heralded the arrival of Michi Hideyoshi as she stepped through the barrier of the Isolation Field. Past the transparent barrier, the former Caretaker found herself in the ruined confines of the gazebo that was her domain once upon a time.

There were two, ash-caked lawn chairs set up there where the Goddess Madoka and the Devil Homura sat in shallow slumber. Then, Michi found a third figure there sitting comfortably on the gazebo balustrades - the captor of the two deities, Ichibey.

The bruised and battered Incubator wore his cryptic smile and wagged his crooked, skinless tail as he faced Michi with a patronizing mug. His smile then grew slightly wider as he calmly greeted,

“Welcome again to the Silver Garden, Michi Hideyoshi. I should have known that it would have been _you_ who would have come here to the gazebo.”

As soon as the wretched creature spoke Michi’s name, the two sleeping deities weakly stirred. They dared to open their eyes to view the tense encounter that had been brewing before them.

Ichibey then tilted his head and gave his assessment,

“If you are the one who made it through the barrier, then that must mean that Warukuchi is dead. That Clara Doll sought power by hook or by crook, but she still wasn’t strong enough to succeed in the end. I always doubted that slanderous Doll, but her defeat doesn’t come as a surprise to me, and - in the grand scheme of things…!”

Before the creature could continue speaking, Michi summoned her naginata with a flash of turquoise blue light. Then, in one smooth and skillful motion, she threw her weapon at Ichibey at breakneck speed.

Michi’s naginata tore through the Incubator mercilessly and cut him in half. When the naginata fizzled away, the two large chunks of Ichibey’s corpse unceremoniously fell down to the wooden boards of the gazebo floor with dull thuds.

However, as soon as the corpse fell, the inner walls of the Isolation Field flickered wildly and crackled with static like an interrupted television program.

Then, a disembodied voice filled the confines of the gazebo with a snicker,

“Impressive, Hideyoshi-san. You have been waiting to do that since you tossed your gem into the Pasig River, haven’t you? Killing me, that is. However, I was prepared for this outcome!”

Two, round and red eyes then appeared on the ‘screen’ of the Isolation Field walls and watched Michi with apparent delight,

“I have plans that concern the fate of the universe, so I wasn’t going to let mortality become a liability of mine. Given Warukuchi’s nature, I was certain that she would have tried to assassinate me. Miki-san would have done the same too if she had the chance. So now, Hideyoshi-san, you have succeeded in freeing me from my mortal coil! Congratulations! But that is all the satisfaction that you are going to get.”

The red eyes on the wall blinked twice as the disembodied voice explained,

“In any case, Hideyoshi-san, you are the one who has been called to participate in the ultimate karmic ritual - the ascension of a new Mistress of the universe! Just as the so-called ‘Goddess of Mercy’ ate the magic of the Puella Magi that she saved - the ‘Devil of Love’ fed on the nighttime stars and the dark side of the moon. The powers that they wielded were indeed more than the sums of their own parts - but, alas, it was still insufficient!”

Ichibey’s voice snickered as he continued,

“Now, Hideyoshi-san, it is your turn to ascend. It is your turn to feast!”

A bead of sweat formed on Michi’s brow as she dared to ask,

“What do you mean… feast? Feast on what!?”

“These two Deities gathered here before you - and the universe that they once reigned over!”

Michi’s eyes shot over to the frail Madoka and Homura and felt a chill run up her spine. The disembodied Incubator then spoke,

“To ascend and become a new Deity, you would have had to defeat the old Deity. Alas, both the Goddess of Mercy and the Devil of Love are defenseless! You can do as you please with them! They are at your mercy - which is why you must feast on them! Once you do, you will become greater than a Deity and this universe will exist solely for your satisfaction! That is why you are here, is it not?”

The Hokkaido native clenched her fist and faced the two red eyes displayed on the inner walls as she grimly replied,

“I have been thinking for a long time, Incubator. It’s true. I do want to become something greater than myself.”

Homura watched Michi’s reply with utter dismay, so she weakly croaked,

“Michi… what are you… doing!? Don’t tell me that… you’ve been seeking revenge too…!”

The Devil turned to the Goddess Madoka, hoping to see some sign of affirmation from her. However, Madoka kept her calm, albeit tired expression. There was a twinkle of anticipation in her glowing golden eyes too that puzzled Homura.

Michi saw Homura’s bewilderment, so she shook her head as she clarified,

“I have no intention to ascend and become a Deity above deities. That has never been my intention and our situation does not change that.”

Ichibey blinked on the screen as he tried to discern Michi’s purpose. If the Hokkaido native did not want to ascend, then why was she there!?

Michi then faced Ichibey’s eyes once more and theorized,

“Ichibey. Am I correct in assuming that you have gathered immense power here in this gazebo? This is the power that would have been used for the new Deity to ascend, yes?”

“That is correct, Hideyoshi-san.”

“If that is the case, then this power can grant one last wish - one that could change the laws of this universe once more.”

“What is your point, then?”

“Ichibey. I am here to bring about a ‘true miracle’.”

Homura was rattled by Michi’s declaration, but a small smile grew on Madoka’s lips. The disembodied Incubator then hummed with curiosity as he asked,

“What is this ‘true miracle’ that you seek, Hideyoshi-san?”

Michi lowered her eyes down to the silver ring that she wore on her middle left finger before she declared,

“I want to break apart the Puella Magi system - from magical girls to Witches and Wraiths. All of it must come undone!”

Ichibey scoffed and promptly opposed,

“That’s a tall order, Hideyoshi-san. Did you really expect me to grant you any wish that you come up with? That’s an absurd request! How will the entropy of our dying universe be replenished then!?”

“Rather than harvesting just the emotional extremes of middle school girls at their most vulnerable moments, Ichibey, wouldn’t it be more sustainable if you gather human emotions from everyone - over the full span of their lifetimes?”

The disembodied voice fell quiet as he considered Michi’s logic. The former Caretaker then took that as her chance to continue,

“Just as you have been observing us humans - even in your captivity at the Panopticon - we have been observing you, Ichibey. You once said that you were an unorthodox Incubator who studied human emotions even when it was considered taboo in Incubator society. However, I believe that you only told us a part of the story. I have reason to believe that you were one of the Incubators who exhibited human emotions long before Homura-san forced them onto your society.”

“What gave you that idea, Hideyoshi-san?”

“Unlike all of the other Incubators, you were prepared for the time that your hive mind died. You embraced individuality seamlessly too and readily refered to ‘yourself’ - even when it came to our encounters in  the 20th Century. More than that, you only recently became the leader of the Incubators after the hive mind died. Prior to that, you were just a cog in the machine - and an Incubator invalid who carried the mental illness of emotions!”

Michi then took a deep breath and looked straight into the Incubators’ eyes as she revealed,

“The most interesting thing that I have figured out about you is that you have always disagreed with the Incubator hive mind to begin with! You believe that the hive mind had tunnel vision - focusing only on the despair concentrated in a middle school girl’s heart. That was why you had quietly rebelled against the hive mind.”

Ichibey’s disembodied voice snickered as he praised,

“You truly do have a sharp eye, Hideyoshi-san. Could it be because you were also persecuted by your own community in Oshimahana - just as my fellow Incubators shunned me?”

“I cannot say that I am glad to have something in common with you, Ichibey, but yes. I understand how you felt. You wanted to see Incubator society burn.”

The creature’s voice heaved a sigh and then frankly admitted,

“You are correct, Hideyoshi-san. I have been rebelling against the hive mind in silence. I set my rebellion in motion when I granted Elise de Lamarliere’s wish - in spite of the liabilities that the Incubators would incur -and brought the concept of ‘Soul Gem Binding’ into reality. I made sure that you, Hideyoshi-san, would inherit the Taint of the Dreadnaught after you shouldered the karma of the entire Salvae bonded by that concept. I showed that entire story from the Second World War to Akemi-san as well to stir her to action. Then, I granted Kaname-san’s wish with the hopes of turning her into a Deity.”

Michi put her hands on her hips and then started to extrapolate the Incubator’s story,

“After that, you must have compelled the Incubators to force Homura-san into a position where she would have to become a Deity as well to save Kaname-senpai. Once Homura-san did ascend, you assumed that she would unleash her fury at the Incubator hive mind and destroy it - and she did. The Incubators who couldn’t handle their new individuality and their emotions declined in power and made you the strongest one of them all.”

Michi’s eyes then grew sharp as she finally deduced,

“Then, you led the rest of the Incubators in an insurrection that was doomed to fail. That way, the entire Incubator race would be eliminated by Homura-san’s ire - all while you escaped here to the Silver Garden as the last Incubator alive. You are the hive mind now - and your will is the will of the Incubators. You are standing on the graves of countless Incubator lives!”

“Correct. I must say I am impressed by your observation. There has always been order in the chaos.”

“That does not change the fact that I despise you for everything that you have done and I am abhorred by your methods. However, I do acknowledge that you have sought to become the master of your own destiny - just like what us humans seek to do everyday. Even normal people outside of the Puella Magi system shone brilliantly in their own lives - from Saotome-sensei to Shizuki-senpai.”

The naginata-wielder then fondly thought about the many people that she met in Mitakihara and then argued,

“In the short time that I was here in Mitakihara, I’ve come to believe that humans can, indeed, lead wonderful lives at any age! The stories that I have glimpsed into have left a deep impression in my heart… and I believe that harvesting energy from those emotions - the positive and the negative - would yield more power than sheer despair alone ever could!”

She then looked at Ichibey’s eyes on the inner walls again and insisted,

“You never truly harbored a hatred for mankind, Ichibey, did you? Instead, you despised the chains that bound you. Now that those chains are gone, I want you to assess my proposal with your own judgement. We can strike a deal right here and now!”

Ichibey hummed again before he finally gave his thoughts,

“Your theory does have credence, Hideyoshi-san. I agree with your assessment as well. The Incubator hive mind was so entrenched in their concepts for the Puella Magi system that they never bothered to look at alternatives. If I build this new system right, I can gather energy by passive osmosis too rather than through the manifestation and eventual death of karmic beings.”

The creature’s eyes then fixed themselves on Michi once more as it the disembodied voice warned,

“However, the sort of arrangement that you seek will still need a Deity to oversee the efficient transfer and conversion of karmic energy to heat - just as Akemi-san and Kaname-san have done. This is your proposal, Hideyoshi-san, so I would like to believe that you are the most suited to this role.”

Michi firmly shook her head and then looked up to the ruined ceiling of the gazebo as she wistfully replied,

“There was a time when I wouldn’t have hesitated to become a Deity. I wasn’t afraid of death and I have always thought about disappearing. Because of that, and the situations that I found myself in, I sought ways wherein I can have a meaningful death. Dying to save the universe would have been a perfect opportunity for me.”

She then turned to Madoka and Homura, making the willow ornament tied to her hairpin chime. Michi looked into Madoka’s eyes - then Homura’s - as she explained,

“Somewhere along the way, however, I found reasons to live. I realized that I wanted to live. I wanted to live the life that my dearest friends and I never had the chance to even see! For that reason, I cannot be that Deity. Homura-san and Kaname-senpai feel the same way. I know for a fact that neither of them want to be Deities. They never have! Becoming a Goddess or a Devil was just a means to an end for them - and they have both achieved it.”

The naginata-wielder then pointed now to the Incubator’s eyes on the inner walls and concluded,

“Given that, I say that you should be the custodian of this new system, Ichibey. You will be the one building it, after all, so you will understand it best.”

Ichibey’s eyes blinked on the walls before he repeated Michi’s offer with awe,

“You want… me… to be the Deity?”

“Yes. You will be the gardener who sees to it that the universe is thriving and the scribe who records the story of humanity in its entirety. The universe will replenish its energy in a more sustainable manner than ever before under your new system - but in exchange, you must leave mankind alone to seek its own destiny. Let us see the highs and lows of our lives on our own terms!”

A thoughtful silence then ensured until the Incubator finally warned,

“I understand the logic behind your proposal and I am inclined to agree. However, if I follow this arrangement by the letter, the magic that brought you and your friends to the year 2088 will cease to function. You will become paradoxes who must be brushed away by time, Hideyoshi-san! You and your friends will cease to exist!”

Michi was taken aback by that revelation and, for the first time in long while, felt absolute doubt taking root in her heart. When the naginata-wielder couldn’t find the words to speak, Madoka Kaname finally revealed,

“That is because Michi-chan and her friends come from another place and time. Home is where their hearts are… and their hearts have always longed for their own time.”

The Goddess of Mercy sat upright in her chair and smiled at Michi as she clarified,

“1945 - the end of the Second World War. That is the time that you and your friends have always longed for, is it not? A fresh start.”

Michi stood in awe at the Goddess Madoka’s insight, but she managed to give a weak nod. So, the Goddess Madoka turned to the Incubator’s displayed eyes and asked,

“If Hideyoshi-san and her friends are brought back to their time period, then they will no longer be paradoxes and they will not need to be erased. As for Homura-chan and myself… we will stay here in the present day.”

The Incubator blinked as he replied,

“Very well. That is a reasonable request. Now then… shall we get started?”

Michi and Madoka nodded, but the time-traveler defiantly shook her head in protest. She then forced herself to stand upright to face Michi. Homura felt incredibly lightheaded, but she held onto her ash-caked lawn chair for support and demanded,

“If you’re going to disappear anyways, Michi, then what have these past few months been for!?”

The naginata-wielder wore a bittersweet smile as she approached the weakened Homura. Then, she laid a hand on the time-traveler’s shoulder and reassured,

“Those months were meaningful to me, Homura-san. I may be whisked away from modern day Mitakihara - from this period in time - but those memories will stay with me for as long as I live. The both of us found our wills to live, so that must count for something. We even managed to save the universe along the way too. But now, I must go.”

“Hideyoshi-san…!”

“Just this once, Homura-san, I want to be selfish. You can now spend your life together with Kaname-senpai and all of your friends - and I wish to spend my life with mine. We can decide how we want to live our lives now, after all. But I want you to know that all of you will be in our hearts.”

As Michi was speaking, cracks started to form on the inner walls of the Isolation Field while Ichibey’s image flickered wildly before it disappeared entirely. Then, Michi’s figure too started to fade away into nothingness.

The hand that Michi laid on Homura’s shoulder also became weightless as an ethereal gale blew through the confines of the gazebo.

The fading magi then closed her eyes and basked in the winds that were blowing her very existence away. Tears formed in Homura’s eyes as she tried to grab a hold of Michi, but her hand went through the naginata-wielder’s afterimage. It was as if Homura’s hands parted ashes that were being scattered to the winds.

Those ashes slipped through Homura’s hand as the time-traveler was overcome with tears. For a brief moment, Homura wanted to chase after those scattering ashes, but Madoka suddenly embraced her from behind.

The pink-haired Goddess then whispered as the golden glow of her eyes fizzled and gave way to her normal pink,

“Let her go, Homura-chan! This is her choice. She and her friends all wanted the same thing all this time - another chance!”

Madoka’s embrace then grew tighter as she urged,

“So come back to us, Homura-chan!”

At that point, Michi’s disembodied voice filled the crumbling gazebo as she spoke,

“Homura-san, Kaname-senpai, please tell everyone else that we had fun being with them and that we’re glad that we all met! So - from the bottom of my heart - I bid you all farewell!”

With those final words, the scene faded to white.

* * *

  **Magia, Pacem, Bellum Terrarum - Those Fallen**

**Peace In Our Times**

* * *

_January 2, 2090 - Thursday_

The unfamiliar ceiling of an unfamiliar room greeted Homura Akemi as she awakened in a daze. Her vision was blurry, so she instinctively searched for her glasses.

The black-haired girl’s hand reached over to to the nightstand beside her bed where her hand groped around for her glasses in vain. Then, she felt the sensation of someone gently taking her hand.

That person coaxed Homura’s hand open and then placed her red-rimmed glasses there.

Homura promptly put on the glasses and gasped when she finally saw who that person was.

It was Sayaka Miki!

The blue-haired girl was pulling up a chair as she smiled at Homura and teased,

“Ah, the sleepy pumpkin is finally awake!”

“Sayaka… Miki…?”

“Ehh? You’re still calling me by my full name again? You’re making it sound like we’re far apart, transfer student~! Though I guess I shouldn’t really call you ‘transfer student’ anymore, huh?”

“What are you talking about?”

Sayaka promptly brought out her WristComm device and brought out a formless screen with the calendar displayed. Homura eyed the date with shock as her glasses slid down the bridge of her nose,

“It’s… 2090?”

“January 2, actually - but yeah! It’s 2090 now… so I guess I should greet you ‘Happy New Year’”

Homura adjusted her glasses and looked down to her two hands. She quickly found that there was no sign of her silver Puella Magi ring to be found. A quick glance at Sayaka’s hands showed Homura the same scene - no ring at all.

The former-time traveler closed her eyes and recalled the scene that she saw in the gazebo of the Silver Garden. Then, she mused in a tired yet reminiscent voice,

“So… that wasn’t a dream? The Puella Magi system is gone…?”

Sayaka shook her head and then fondly reassured,

“It wasn’t a dream, Homura. All of it happened… but if you wanna be technical, it’s sorta like the magic that kept us in 2088 was invalidated. So we moved forward in time. That’s one year of Madoka’s Law of Cycles and the months of your universe… what do you call it?”

“Pax Akemi…”

“Really now? Anyways, those periods of time nudged us forward as if we had been living normal lives. Now, we’re here.”

“I see…”

The former time-traveler turned to Sayaka and curiously asked,

“So, Miki-san… what exactly happened in this ‘normal life’ of ours? Why am I here in the hospital?”

Sayaka sat down on her chair and wore a warm smile as she explained,

“You underwent treatment for your heart disease - chemotherapy, surgery… and a whole lot of other stuff that an idiot like me doesn’t really know much about.”

Homura listened to Sayaka’s story with caution as she gently laid her hand over her heart. She then adjusted her glasses and theorized,

“Here’s what I think, Miki-san. This past cycle that was just invalidated - it must have been tied to my heart disease somehow. For the longest time, I’ve been keeping things like these to myself. I didn’t want to appear weak, after all, and I didn’t want Madoka to worry. I didn’t really care about what happened to me, after all.”

“But Mi-chan knocked some sense into ya, didn’t she?”

The former time-traveler scoffed and conceded,

“I hate to admit it, but yes. That whole front of strength that I had started to unravel when I let that girl advise me. She got me to lower my guard and accept the fact that I was sick. I even revealed my chronic sickness to Madoka - even though it was truly ‘uncool’.”

“But things turned out for the better, you big pumpkin. You swallowed your pride and tackled your heart disease problem once and for all! Honestly, Homura, I’m amazed by how strong you are - what with all the treatments you had to go through.”

When Sayaka mentioned ‘treatments’ again, the former time-traveler hesitantly reached for her hair and her heart quickly sank. Her long, silky locks of hair were gone! Only a short head of black hair braced with Homura’s black hairband remained as a shadow of her old crown.

“My hair… it’s…?”

As Homura started to fret, however, she felt Sayaka’s hand on her shoulder as she reassured,

“I cut my hair short too, Homura. It was out of solidarity, I guess - and I helped raise money for your treatments while you were still ‘asleep’, so to speak. The other girls didn’t cut their hair, but they helped fundraising whenever they could. Now, you’ve beaten cancer a second time~!”

“I… see…”

Tears started to form in Homura’s purple eyes, but a small smile broke out on her lips as she added,

“Even though I shot you in the head nine times… you still did this for me…”

“Well, having lead pass through your head really clears your mind a lot, you know!”

“That was a bad joke, Miki-san.”

“Ahahaha, I guess so~!”

“But in all honesty, thank you for doing this for me, Miki-san. No - Sayaka. Thank you, Sayaka.”

“It was my pleasure, Homura. After everything I did to spite you, I had to make it up somehow too.”

Homura set her hand over Sayaka’s and reassured,

“It’s all in the past - in more ways than one. Now, we’re even.”

“Ahahaha~ I guess that’s true.”

“Also, Sayaka.”

“What is it?”

“Happy New Year to you too, raspberry.”

* * *

Homura and Sayaka, two rivals who were prepared to start the Third World War to spite each other once upon a time, were enjoying each others’ presence there in the private hospital room. Sayaka dutifully brought Homura up to speed about the things that have happened in Mitakihara while she was still ‘asleep’ while the former time-traveler eagerly listened.

Bridges that had been burned and relentlessly bombed were rising up once more between the two as Sayaka peeled some apples for Homura. The blue-haired girl served Homura her slices of apples with a smile and continued,

“You know, Homura. The two of us are seniors now - and we’re in Class 3-4 too!”

“That’s the class that Tomoe-san was in…”

“Yup~ and that means Saotome-sensei is still our homeroom teacher. Though, people are saying that she’s next in line to be the principal.”

“Saotome-sensei would fit the role nicely, I think.”

“Hehe, I think so too!”

The blue-haired girl nibbled on a slice of apple and noted,

“As for Mami-senpai… she’s a high-schooler now. Her school’s downtown near the central train station… her uniform’s really cute too! Blazer, ribbon and sweater! You should have been there when Mami-senpai graduated though - she was absolutely in tears~!”

“I can imagine that. Tomoe-san truly is an emotional person, after all.”

“I know, right? Oh - and Nagisa-chan’s a freshie at our school now. At the new student ceremony, Mami-senpai bawled too and she was like ‘ _Nagisa-chan is growing so fast!’_ ”

When Sayaka told her this, Homura started to chuckle - a departure from the serious airs and expressions that the former time-traveler always put on. Looking at the short-haired, bespectacled Homura on the verge of lighthearted laughter made Sayaka wonder.

Was this the ‘Homura Akemi’ that Michi saw?

Perhaps it was.

For the first time, Sayaka understood why Michi dared to defy her and walk the opposite path. So, Sayaka smiled back at Homura and continued her fond stories.

The blue-haired girl talked about how Madoka’s mother got promoted to Vice President in Elysian Fashion and how Hitomi Shizuki became the student council president in a landslide victory. It was only after Sayaka started running out of topics when she finally started talking about herself.

The blue-haired girl stood up from her seat and turned around once as she spoke,

“I celebrated my birthday a few months ago for the first time in I don’t know how long - if you count the Law of Cycles and all those timelines that you made. I’m a 16 year old girl now - and I’m growing taller too. I caught a cold two months ago and I had to get better without magic.”

“An idiot like you caught a cold?”

“Heh - I know right? But in any case, what I’m trying to say is that our clocks have all started ticking again. Time marches forward like it always has before - but the difference is that we’re being swept along too. We’re not just bystanders anymore. I mean - look at you! Your lost all your hair when you went through chemotherapy, Homura, but it’s already starting to grow.”

Homura thoughtfully felt a lock of her now short hair and hummed,

“I guess that’s true…”

“This new situation of ours has its ups and downs, but, I guess I kind of like this. Now that we have a choice in the matter, i’m not really keen on staying a Puella Magi for all eternity.”

As Sayaka was speaking, she heard a number of footsteps from the hallway outside heading towards the private room’s door. The former saber-fighter grinned as she happily anticipated,

“And the goddess arrives~! Or, should I say ‘class rep’ instead?”

The private room door slid open and the excited head of Madoka Kaname poked inside. The pink-haired girl beamed as soon as she saw the patient wide awake. Then, she cried out in glee,

“Homura-chan~!”

With that, she rushed over to Homura’s bedside and embraced the newly-awakened patient. She gently rested her head on Homura’s while the patient relished in her visitor’s unhindered affection.

Madoka then brought herself up and smiled as she praised,

“I’m glad that you and Sayaka-chan are getting along well too~!”

A somber air then surfaced on Madoka’s expression as she reflectively added,

“After everything that happened between the two of you, I was really worried that the two of you would hate each other forever… all because of me. But now, I’m convinced. A true miracle did happen - that’s why we’re all still here!”

Homura nodded and smiled back as she assured,

“We have our whole lives ahead of us now - just like how Michi and her friends surely had theirs.”

Madoka’s expression lightened up as she cheerfully agreed. She then held Homura’s hand and gladly announced

“Speaking of Michi-chan… I just finished talking with Saotome-sensei and Hitomi-chan about our senior year trip. We’re going to Hokkaido~!”

* * *

  _March 21, 2090 - Tuesday_

Chilly winds of single-digit degree temperature greeted the students Class 3-4 of the Mitakihara Junior High School as they stepped out of their charted bus and into the storied valley town of Oshimahana, Hokkaido.

Madoka Kaname, Kyouko Sakura, Sayaka Miki and Homura Akemi shivered in the face of the frosty greeting, but the early springtime sun smiled upon them before long. Kyouko shielded her eyes from the sun as she hummed,

“That Michi kid was a bit of a whirlwind, but she had one hell of a warm smile too. I guess this town is where she got those…”

The former spear-fighter put a hand on her hip as she turned to her companions and sighed,

“You know, Mami and Nagisa really, really, reaaaaally wanted to go with us - but this is a class trip, y’know. They’ll have to settle for pics and souvenirs.”

While Kyouko was speaking, she heaved a had a long, sleepy yawn before heard the ominous sound of a camera shutter followed by a flash of light. The mercurial red-head turned to the source of the sound and saw Sayaka taking a picture of her.

Mere moments later, Kyouko’s WristComm device buzzed with messages from Mami and Nagisa. Sayaka uploaded the photo online!

Sayaka snickered as she read those same messages on her own device, mimicking the two former magi’s voices,

“ _‘Ara, ara~ the sleepy Sakura-san really adds depth to this photo!_ -@RealTomoeMami’, ‘ _Wehehehe~ Kyouko-neesan yawned!_ \- @CheeseMonsterRawr’”

Kyouko’s brow furrowed as she growled at Sayaka,

“Why you little raspberry!”

The red-head then promptly chased after Sayaka who ran on ahead into the Oshimahana town proper. Hitomi Shizuki and Saotome-sensei were just stepping out of the bus themselves when they saw the commotion, but it was already too late to call them back.

Homura went over to Hitomi and then promised,

“Madoka and I will make sure those two are back here for roll call later on, Shizuki-san.”

The teal-haired student council president tilted her head and cautioned,

“Oshimahana is a pretty big place, Akemi-san. Will you guys be alright?”

Madoka then intervened with a smile and reassured,

“The four of us know this place quite well. It’ll be fine, Hitomi-chan!”

With that, Homura and Madoka went off on their own too.

* * *

 The two former deities walked down the now paved sidewalks of Oshimahana on that chilly, early spring day.

It looked much different now from the Oshimahana from the 20th Century that they had seen before, but they still felt the spirit of the valley alive there.

The forests still stretched out as far as the eye could see and the mountains lorded over any building in the town. All the while, the relaxing murmur of the gentle valley stream filled Madoka’s and Homura’s ears.

They crossed the concrete bridge that ran over the stream and tried to follow the footsteps of the former naginata-wielder as best as they could.

Then, they reached the place where the Hideyoshi household should have been.

The foundations of the stone walls were there, but the rest of the house was nowhere to be found. Instead, the walls wrapped around what appeared to be the town brewery.

Madoka and Homura turned to each other and decided to try and take a peek inside anyways.

Once the girls crossed through the gate, they were greeted by stacks of sake jugs that towered above them on one side of the stone path of the brewery’s front yard. Those jugs, however, had an unusual neighbor at the other side of the path - willow-wood barrels of imported French wine. They looked like the displays of offerings made to temples.

Madoka and Homura watched the sake jugs and the wine barrels with awe when they heard footsteps approaching them. When they turned to face the footsteps, they found a peculiar figure.

The figure was a young girl who looked like a middle school sophomore. She was wearing a silk, periwinkle kimono adorned with silhouettes of willow trees and had short yet wavy black hair. There were freckles on the fair skin of her cheeks while her eyes were a beautiful, unusual shade of ash-grey.

The young girl put her hands on her hips as she discerned,

“The two of you are from Mitakihara Junior High School, aren’t you? Mama and Papa said that we were having students from Kanagawa Prefecture around town today~! So - are you guys here for a tour? My parents are the owners of this place and they’re not here right now, but I can show you two around if you want!”

Homura and Madoka were taken by surprise, but they decided to accept their lively junior’s offer. The young girl was pleasantly surprised, but she composed herself and graciously gestured to her new customers,

“Very well then - please follow me~!”

The junior walked a pace behind the two tourists as they went around the front yard of the brewery. All the while, she went through a practiced yet wholehearted spiel,

“Now then - the Oshimahana Brewery might look old, but it is actually a lot younger than most of the breweries around Japan. We have only been running for three generations, you see! Four if you include me! However, what our humble brewery doesn’t have in age - it makes up for in its story… and its amazake~!”

The young girl then brought Homura and Madoka into the main brewery building where she showed them their various facilities for making their many spirits. She explained the processes as best as she could, lavishing the narrative with tall tales while skillfully stopping short of revealing trade secrets like a shrewd businesswoman.

If Homura and Madoka didn’t know any better, they would have thought that that little girl was the one in charge of that entire operation!

After going through the production plants, the girl brought the two tourists into a small gallery that was filled to the brim with black and white photos along with all sorts of memorabilia.

As soon as Homura and Madoka had a closer look at the photos, however, they immediately recognized the people in them.

Just as the little girl was about to explain one photo, Homura beat her to the punch and identified the subjects.

They were the former Puella Magi from the Second World War!

While the little girl droned on about the quaint exhibit in the room, Homura and Madoka paid special attention to the stories of the six magi that they lived with, ate with and fought alongside in the short yet eventful few months of their stay in Mitakihara.

They found a picture of Audrey Wilhelmina Burnham posing in front of a school in Mariveles, Bataan where her old sugar plantation house once stood. Esperanza and her team of girls were there too - as students in one photo and then as faculty members in the next. The American _haciendera_ -turned-soldier-turned teacher apparently came to Hokkaido often to teach every so often.

In another photo, they saw a newspaper clipping from a Vladivostok publication that featured Serafina Larivenko as a ballet dancer and a photograph of her posing with Nikita Kruschev. The Ukrainian apparently promoted dance as a form of soft-power diplomacy with the West in the thick of the Cold War. Whenever Soviet diplomatic missions went to Japan, Serafina’s troupe often performed throughout the country.

Glass-covered displays of model trains accompanied pictures of Lorelei Sankt who appeared in more photos than the other magi combined! She turned out to be a scientist for West Germany who helped connect Western Europe by rail through the Marshall Plan. Lorelei also visited Japan often to observe the building of the first Shinkansen line.

Ligaya de la Cruz, on the other hand, had the most dramatic photos. The Filipina struck flashy poses with her fellow graduates of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 61’. She also had photos with the F-86E Saber jet as one of the first female jet fighter pilots in the force. The handsful of medals and ribbons that were framed along with the pictures showed her many flights in UN peacekeeping missions around the world.

When the tour finally reached the memorabilia relating to Elise de Lamarliere, the little girl seemed to speak with much more familiarity. She pointed to the small oil paintings and told Homura and Madoka about the French girl’s successful and storied career as a landscape painter. Elise turned out to be a renowned artist whose renditions of landscapes from before the Second World War were  sought after.

Then, when Michi’s turn finally came, the little girl just spread her arms out wide and gleefully explained,

“This brewery - and this entire town - is Michi Hideyoshi’s memorabilia. In spite of the harsh conditions of post-war Japan, Hideyoshi-san took a big risk and started this very brewery right here in Oshimahana with the help of all of her friends. As the brewery grew, the town grew along with it.”

The girl then came to the end of the exhibit where the six magi from the Second World War posed together outside of the brewery as she continued,

“Over time, the group of friends went their own separate ways. Only Elise de Lamarliere stayed in Hokkaido for the long term and eventually settled here together with Michi Hideyoshi. However, I believe that the bonds they shared withstood the test of time. This brewery stands as a testament to that, after all!”

She then brought her hands close to her heart as she finally introduced herself,

“I am the great granddaughter of Michi Hideyoshi and Elise de Lamarliere. My name is Mirai Hideyoshi - it’s been a pleasure to have you here at our humble home!”

Mirai wore a warm smile for her two guests and then gave a deep, respectful bow - the same kind that Michi often gave to Madoka and Homura.

Once Mirai ended her tour, she opened the door at the end of the gallery and revealed the inner courtyard of the Oshimahana Brewery. There, Homura found the same, grand cherry blossom tree that was missing from Mitakihara!

Seeing that old tree again moved Homura to the verge of tears. The former time-traveler then whispered,

“You’re finally back home, huh?”

Mirai tilted her head and wondered what Homura was musing about. The black-haired student, however, reassured Mirai with a smile and then asked,

“Hideyoshi-san.”

“Y-yes?”

“Would it be alright if my friend Madoka and I had some amazake under the cherry blossom tree?”

The afterimages of Michi, Elise, Lorelei, Ligaya, Serafina and Audrey all appeared in the Brewery’s gallery and smiled at Homura. The French girl and the Hokkaido native then supportively patted the innocent Mirai’s shoulders as Homura happily explained,

“The two of us want to share a drink with some old friends.”

**The End**


End file.
